ill
THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
RIVERSIDE
GIFT OF
Amy M. Ross
From an Engraving by Gustave Levy
BONAPARTE AS GENERAL-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMY OF ITALY
RECOLLECTIONS
OF
THE PRIVATE LIFE
OF
1 NAPOLEON
B?
CONSTANT
Premier Valet de Chambre
TRANSLATED BY WALTER CLARK
VOLUME II.
"Cbe Saalfielo pub. Co.
NEW YORK AKRON, OHIO CHICAGO
1911
Copyright, 1895
By The Merriam Company
Copyright, 1904
By The Saalfield Publishing Company
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
VOLUME n.
CHAPTER I.
Success crowns his arms. — General Beaumont. — Colonel (now general)
Ge"rard. — One hundred and forty flags captured from the enemy. —
General Savary, Marshal Mortier, and Prince Murat. — Departure from
Berlin. — Grand Marshal Duroc hreaks his collar-bone. — Stay of the
Emperor at Warsaw. — Enthusiasm of the Polish nobility. — The Em-
peror sees Madame Valevska for the first time. — Description of that
lady. — Agitation of the Emperor. — Singular mission confided to a great
personage. — First advances of the Emperor rejected. — Confusion of the
ambassador. — Preoccupation of his Majesty. — Correspondence. — Con-
sent.— First rendezvous. — Madame Valevska goes to the headquarters
at Finkenstein. — Madame Valevska's affection for the Emperor. — Meals
taken tete-a-tete. — Constant alone attends them. — Conversation. — Oc-
cupation of Madame Valevska when not in the Emperor's presence.
— Gentle and equable temperament of Madame Valevska. — Madame
Valevska at Schoenbrunn with the Emperor. — Mysterious business com-
mitted to Constant. — The rain and tho ruts. — Anxiety and suggestions
of the Emperor. — The carriage upset. — A dangerous fall. — Constant
supporting Madame Valevska. — Attentions lavished on Madame Valev-
ska by the Emperor. — The small hotel of la Chaussee-d'Antin. — Vol-
untary seclusion of Madame Valevska. — Birth of a son. — Joy of Napo-
leon. — The new-born babe made a count. — Madame Valevska carries
her son to the Emperor. — The young count saved by Doctor Corvisart. —
The hair, the ring, and the motto. — The La Vallicre of the empire, and
the favorites of the conqueror of Austerlitz Pages 19-25.
CHAPTER II.
The campaign in Poland. — The battle of Eylau. — Te Deum and De profun-
dis. — Involuntary detention of the Prince de Ponte-Corvo. — Generals
d'Hautpoult, Corbineau, and Boursier fatally wounded. — Courage and
death of General d'Hautpoult. —The bon coup of General Ordener. —
Presentiment of General Corbineau. — Money from the private purse of
3
4 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
the Emperor advanced to General Corbineau a few moments before his
death. — Enthusiasm of the Poles. — Dissatisfaction of the French. —
Anecdotes. — The basis of the Polish language. — Misery and gayety. —
Hilarity of the soldiers excited by a reply of the Emperor. — The Persian
ambassador. — Envoy of General Gardanne to Persia. — Treasure not re-
covered.— The Emperor's stay at Finkenstein. — The Emperor cheats
at vingt-et-un. — The Emperor dividing his gains with Constant. —
Amusements of the grand officers of the Emperor. — Bet won by the
Duke of Vicenza. — Mystification of Monsieur B. d'A . — Prince
Jerome in love with an actress of Breslau. — Marriage of the actress
to the prince's valet de chambre. — Favor and jealousy. — The brothers
of the Emperor. — The Emperor loving and scolding his brothers. —
Marshal Lefebvre made Duke of Dantzig by the Emperor. — Anecdote
of Dantzig chocolate. — Battle of Friedland; coincidence of dates. —
High spirits of the Emperor during the battle. — Peace with Russia. —
Interview of the Emperor and the Czar at Tilsit. — The King and Queen
of Prussia. — Gallantry and severity of Napoleon. — Rudeness of Grand
Duke Constantine. — Military banquet. — Concert by Baskir musicians.
— Visit of Constant to the Baskirs. — Meal a la Cossack. — Shooting
with the bow. — Constant successful. — Striking souvenir. — Muscovite
soldier decorated by the Emperor Napoleon. — Return through Bautzen
and Dresden, and re-entry into France Pages 26-42.
CHAPTER III.
Death of the young Napoleon, son of the King of Holland. — Lovely dispo-
sition of this child. — Weakness of the nurse, and firmness of the young
prince. — Submissiveness of the young prince to the Emperor. — His
affection for the Emperor. — An attractive family portrait. — The shoe-
maker, and the portrait of my Uncle Bibiche. — The gazelles of Saints
Cloud. — The King and Queen of Holland reconciled by the young
Napoleon. — The Emperor's affection for his nephew. — The designated
heir of the Empire. — Predictions of misfortune. — First ideas of divorce.
— Grief of the Empress Josephine on the death of the young Napoleon.
— Despair of Queen Hortense. — The suggestion of a chamberlain. —
Universal sorrow caused by the death of the young prince . Pages 43-49.
CHAPTER IV.
Return from the campaign of Prussia and Poland. — Restoration of the
chateau of Rambouillet. — Portraits in the bathroom. — Surprise and
disgust of the Emperor. — Stay of the count at Fontainebleau. — Un-
just demands of innkeepers. — Extortion upon travelers. — Cardinal Ca-
prara and bouillon at six hundred francs. — Fixed charges ordered by the
Emperor. — Arrival at Pails of Princess Catherine of Wiirtemberg. —
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 5
Marriage of this princess to the King of Westphalia. — Relations of
King Jerome towards his first wife. — The valet de chambre Rico sent
to America. — Affection of the queen of "Westphalia for her husband.—
The queen's letter to her father. — Arrest of the queen by the Marquis
de Maubreuil. — Robbery of diamonds. — Presents of the Czar to the
Emperor. — Promenades of the Emperor at Fontainebleau. — Kindness
shown by the Emperor and Empress to an old clergyman, and the
Emperor's conversation with this old man. — The Cardinal de Belloy,
Archbishop of Paris. — Touching address of a prelate, who was almost a
centenarian. — The Emperor's hunt. — Costume and hunting equipages.
— Gallant intrigue of the Emperor at Fontainebleau. — Mysterious com-
mission given to Constant in the darkness. — Unsuccessful embassy. —
The Emperor's gayety. — The Emperor guided by Constant in the
darkness. — Jests and thanks of the Emperor. — Sudden coolness of the
Emperor. — Theater at Fontainebleau. — Misadventure of Mademoiselle
Mars. — Loss promptly repaired ... Pages 50-59.
CHAPTER V.
The Emperor's journey to Italy. — Short time for preparation. — Complete
services sent in various directions. — Bedroom furniture while on the
journey. — Constant inseparable from the Emperor. — Provision wagon in
the kitchen service. — The appointed order of the Emperor's meals while
traveling. — The Emperor's breakfast in the open air. — The former
officers of the king's kitchen in the service of the Emperor. — M. Colin
and M. Pfister. — Messieurs Soupe' and Pierrugues. — Unexpected arrival
of the Emperor at Milan. — Improvised illumination. — Joy of Prince
Eugene and the Milanese. — Affection and respect of the Emperor for
the vice-queen. — Constant complimented by the vice-king. — The
Emperor at the theater of la Scala. — Passage through Brescia and
Verona. — Appearance of Lombardy. — Constant's dread of official ha-
rangues. — Races at Vicenza. — The Emperor an early riser while travel-
ling.— Rice fields. — Picturesque landscapes Pages 60-67.
CHAPTER VI.
Arrival at Fusina. — The peote and gondolas of Venice. — The appearance of
Venice. —Salutes by the Emperor. — Entrance of the Imperial cortege
on the Grand Canal. — Gardens and groves improvised by the Emperor.
— A sight new to the Venetians. — Conversation of the Emperor with
the vice-king and the grand marshal. — The Emperor speaking much,
but not conversing. — Observation of Constant on a passage in the
journal of the Baroness de V . — The Emperor's opinion of the
former government. — The lions have become old. — The Doge a French
senator. — The Emperor determines to have the name of France re-
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
spected. — Visit to the arsenal. — Dangerous shoals. — The tower of ob-
servation . — The workshops. — The Bucentaure. — Disappointment of a
bargeman, an old servant of the Doge. — The marriage of the Doge to the
sea interrupted by the arrival of the French. — Distress of the last Doge,
Ludovico Manini. — The gondoliers. — A boat-race and tournament on
the water in the presence of the Emperor. — A glimpse of the square of
St. Mark during that night. — Industrious habits of the Emperor at
Venice. — Visit to the church of St. Mark and the Doge's palace. — The
dike. — The clock tower. — Mechanism of the clock. — The prisons. —
Visit paid by Constant and Roustan to a Greek family. — Constant ques-
tioned by the Emperor. — Constant's curiosity disappointed. — Enthu-
siasm of a beautiful Greek for the Emperor. — Marital vigilance and
removal. — Decree of the Emperor regarding the Venetians. — Departure
from Venice, and return to France Pages 68-79.
CHAPTER VII.
Arrival at Paris. — Representation of an opera composed by Paer. — The
theater of the Tuileries. — M. Fontaine, architect. — Criticisms of the
Emperor. — The Arch of Triumph on the Place du Carrousel criticised
by the Emperor. — A plan for joining the Tuileries to the Louvre. — Ex-
tensive buildings planned by the Emperor. — Restoration of the chateau
of Versailles. — Note of the Emperor on the subject. — Visit of the Em-
peror to David's studio. — Picture of the coronation. — The Emperor's
admiration. — M. Vien. — Improvement suggested by the Emperor. —
Anecdote related by Marshal Bessieres. — The painter David and Cardi-
nal Caprara's wig. — A long visit. — Homage rendered by the Emperoi
to a great artist. — Compliments of Josephine. — The picture of thg
Sabines in the hall of the Council of State Pages 80-87.
CHAPTER VIII.
Marriage of Mademoiselle de Tascher to the Duke of Aremberg. — Marriage
of a niece of King Murat to the Prince of Hohenzollern. — Grand fetes
and masked balls at Paris. — The Emperor at M. de Marescalchi's ball.
— The Emperor's disguise. — Constant's instructions. — The Emperoi
always recognized. — Incognito impossible. — The Emperor's amusement.
— Napoleon perplexed by a masker. — The Empress at the ball of the
opera. — The Emperor trying to surprise the Empress at the masked ball.
— Napoleon in a domino. — Constant as the Emperor's companion, and
lutoylng him. — Artifices of a masker, and embarrassment of the Em-
peror.— An explanation between Napoleon and Josephine. — Who was
the masker who had mystified the Emperor ? — Parisian masquerades. —
Doctor Gall, and heads with wigs. — Fancy and masked ball at the resi-
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 7
dence of the Princess Caroline. — Constant sent to this ball by the Em-
peror.— Instructions given to Constant by the Emperor. — Marriage of
the Prince of Neuchatel with a Bavarian princess. — Present sent the
Empress by an inhabitant of the Isle of France. — The well-reared
baboon. — Civilized habits Pages 88-96.
CHAPTER IX.
Journey of the Emperor and Empress. — Stay at Bordeaux and Bayonne. —
Arrival of Don Carlos, the infant of Spain. — Sickness of the child and
the Emperor's attentions. — The chateau of Marrac. — The dance of the
Basques. — Basque costumes. — Letter addressed to the Emperor by the
Prince of the Asturias. — The Emperor's surprise. — Cortege sent by the
Emperor to meet the prince. — Entrance of the prince into Bayonne. —
The prince dissatisfied with his lodgings. — Interview between the prince
and the Emperor. — The princes and grandees of Spain dine with Napo-
leon.— Harshness of Napoleon towards Prince Ferdinand. — Arrival of
the Empress at Marrac. — Arrival of the King and Queen of Spain at
Bayonne. — Anecdote of bad augury related to the Prince of the Asturias.
— French service of honor used by their Spanish majesties. — Ceremony
of kissing the hand. — The Prince of the Asturias coldly welcomed by his
father the king. — Arrival of the Prince de la Paix. — Interview between
the Emperor and the King of Spain. — Grief of this monarch. — Cruelty
shown to Don Manual Godoi" in his prison. — Equipage of the King and
Queen of Spain. — Description and habits of the king. — Description of
the queen. — Lessons in French toilet. — Taciturnity of the Prince of the
Asturias (King Ferdinand VII.) . — Affection of the king for Godoi. — The
princes of Spain at Fontainebleau and Valencay. — The King of Spain's
fondness for private life. — Fondness of Charles IV. for clock-work. —
The confessor whistled for. — Charles IV. in his old age takes lessons
on the violin. — Alexander Boucher. — Etiquette and the royal duet. —
Arrival at Bayonne of Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain. — Joseph com-
plimented by the deputies of the Junta. — M. de Cevallos and the Duke
of Infantado at the court of the new king Pages 97-111.
CHAPTER X.
Death of M. de Belloy, Archbishop of Paris. — Life Ox a century, and still too
short. — Anecdote concerning the Archbishop of Genoa. — The hangman's
child. — The Grand Duke of Berg returns from Spain. — Departure from
Marrac. — Snuff-boxes given away by the Emperor. — The room of the
First Bourbon. — Souvenir of Egypt. — The pyramid and the mamelukes.
— The balladeurs. — The Emperor's visit to the Grand Duke of Berg. —
Useless preparations. — The oldest soldier in France. — The Centena-
rian.— The Emperor's deference for old age. — The soldier of Egypt. —
8 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Arrival at Saint-Cloud. — The fifteenth of August. — The Emperor eager
for praise. — The Emperor's ill-humor. — Napoleon and the god Mars. —
The Persian ambassador. — Solemn audience. — Elegance and generosity
of Asker-Khan. — The swords of Tamerlane and Kouli-Khan. — Persian
gallantry. — Asker-Khan's love of science and the arts. — The long price,
and the short price. — Calico preferred to cashmere. — Eastern amuse-
ments.— The arms of the sufi, and the Emperor's cipher. — Asker-
Khan in the Imperial library. — The Koran. — Portrait of the sufi. —
The Grand Order of the Sun given to the Prince de Be'ne'vent. — Fall of
Asker-Khan at the Empress' concert. — M. de Barbe'-Marbois a physician
against his will Pages 112-123.
CHAPTER XI.
Removal of the colossal statue to the Place Vendome. — The brewer's horses.
— Napoleon's last game of prisoner's base. — Departure for Erfurt. — The
Emperor's lodgings. — The garrison of Erfurt. — Actors and actresses of
the Theatre Francaise at Erfurt. — The Emperor's dislike to Madame
Talma. — Mademoiselle Bourgoin and the Emperor Alexander. — Pater-
nal advice of the Emperor to the Czar. — Disappointment. — Entrance of
the Emperor into Erfurt. — Arrival of the Czar. — Attentions of the
Czar to the Duke of Montebello. — Meeting of the Emperor and the
Czar. — Entrance of the two Emperors into Erfurt. — Reciprocal defer-
ence.— The Czar dines every day with the Emperor. — Intimacy of the
Emperor and the Czar. — Dressing-case and bed given to Alexander by
Napoleon. — The Emperor of Russia's present to Constant. — The Czar
making his toilet at the Emperor's. — Exchange of presents. — The three
pelisses of sable fur. — History of one of these three pelisses. — The Prin-
cess Pauline and her protege. — The Emperor's anger. — Exile.
Pages 124-133.
CHAPTER XII.
The Czar's consideration for French actors. — Fine parties. — Intimate friend-
ship of the King of "Westphalia and Grand Duke Constantino. — School-
boy farces. — Singular order of Prince Constantino. — Souvenirs at the
theater of Erfurt. — Deafness of the Czar, attention of the Emperor. —
Cinna, (Edipus. — An allusion acted on by the Czar. — Nocturnal alarm. —
Constant's terror. — Napoleon's nightmare. — A bear eating the Emperor's
heart. — Singular coincidence. — Hunting-party. — The smiles of the two
Emperors. — Massacre of game. — Debut of the Czar at the chase. — Ball
opened by the Czar. — Astonishment of the Muscovite lords. — Breakfast
on Mount Napoleon. — Visit to the battle-field of Je'na. — The inhabit-
ants of Jena and landowners indemnified by the Emperor. — Gift of
a hundred thousand crowns made by the Emperor to the victims of the
battle of Jena. — A lesson in strategy given by Napoleon to his allies. —
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 9
Representation of Marshal Bertkier. — The Emperor's reply. — Conver-
sation between the Emperor and the allied sovereigns. — The Emperor's
learning. — Decorations and presents distributed by the two Emperors. —
End of the interview at Erfurt. — Separation Pages 134-145.
CHAPTER XIII.
Return to Saint-Cloud. — Departure for Bayonne. — Fears of the Empress
Josephine. — Mysterious sachet worn on the campaign by Napoleon. —
Sadness of Constant. — Presentiment. — Arrival at Vittoria. — The capture
of Burgos. — Bivouac of the grenadiers of the old guard. — On the march
to Madrid. — Passage of the Somo Sierra. — Arrival before Madrid. —
The Emperor at the residence of the mother of the Duke of Infantado.
— Capture of Madrid. — The Spaniards' respect for loyalty. — The Mar-
quis of Saint-Simon condemned to death, and pardoned by the Emperor.
— King Joseph re-enters Madrid. — Adventure with a beautiful Spanish
actress. — Napoleon's dislike to perfumes. — Sudden headache. — The
young actress abruptly dismissed by the Emperor. — Misery of the sol-
diers.— The abbess of the convent of Tordesillas. — Arrival at Yallado-
lid. — Assassinations by Dominican friars. — Hubert, the Emperor's valet
de chambre, attacked by monks. — The monks forced to appear before the
Emperor. — Excessive anger. — Complaint made of Constant by Grand
Marshal Duroc. — Constant's distress. — Kindness and justice of the Em-
peror. — Reconciliation. — Grand Marshal Duroc's kind feelings toward
Constant. — Constant's illness at Valladolid. — The fever conquered. —
The return to Paris. — Disgrace of Prince Talleyrand . Pages 146-156.
CHAPTER XIV.
Arrival at Paris. — The Palace of Madrid and the Louvre. — The chateau of
Chambord intended for the Prince de Neuchatel. — Constant employment
of the Emperor. — The Emperor as a musical critic. — The Emperor's
falsetto voice and habit of humming. — The Marseillaise the signal for
departure. — The Emperor's gayety as he sets out on the Russian cam-
paign. — Crescentini and Madame Grassini. — Play of Crescentini. —
Satisfaction and generosity of the Emperor. — Illness and death of Da-
zincourt. — Ingratitude of the public. — A word about Dazinoourt. — The
Emperor's stay at the Elyse'e. — Marriage of the Duke of Castiglione.
— The Grand-Duchess of Tuscany. — The chase at Rambouillet. — The
Emperor's skill. — Talma. — Their Majesties' departure from Strasbourg.
— The Emperor passes the Rhine. — The Battle of Ratisbonne. — The
Emperor wounded. — Much alarm in the army. — The Emperor's endu-
rance. — The papers advised to be silent. — Orders of the Emperor before
each battle. — A Bavarian family saved by Constant. — The Emperor's
vexation. — M. Pfister becomes insane. — The Emperor's anxiety. — Con-
10 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
spiracy against the Emperor. — A million in diamonds. — Insult to the
bearer of a flag of truce. — The Emperor's moderation. — Letter of the
Prince de Neuchatel to the Archduke Maximilian. — Bombardment of
Vienna. — The life of Marie Louise protected by the Emperor. — Flight
of the Archduke Maximilian, and the taking of Vienna. — Stupidity of
the Austrians Pages 157-167.
CHAPTER XV.
The Emperor at Schoenbrunn. — Description of this residence. — The Em-
peror's apartments. — Inconvenience of the stoves. — The winged chariot
of Maria Theresa. — The parks of Versailles, Malmaison, and Schoen-
brunn.— The Gloriette. — The ruins. — The menagerie and kiosk of
Maria Theresa. — Reviews held by the Emperor. — Manner in which the
Emperor made promotions. — Gratuities paid by the Emperor. — An act
of heroism. — Kindness of the Emperor. — A visit with bags, account
books, and arms. — Unexpected orders. — A young officer's self-possession.
— "Wagons inspected by the Emperor Pages 168-174.
CHAPTER XVI.
Attempt against the life of Napoleon. — Happy sagacity of General Rapp.
— Arrest of Frederic Stabs. — The fanatical student. — Incredible per-
severance. — The Duke of Rovigo at the residence of the Emperor. —
Stabs questioned by the Emperor. — The Emperor's pity. — Immobility
of Stabs. —Stabs and M. Corvisart. — Pardon twice offered and refused.
— Emotion of his Majesty. — Condemnation of Stabs. — Fasting four
days. — Last words of Stabs Pages 175-179.
CHAPTER XVII.
Gallant adventures of the Emperor at Schoenbrunn. — Promenade on the
Prater. — Exclamation of a young German widow. — The Emperor's con-
descension.— Rapid conquest. — Madame follows the Emperor to
Bavaria. — Her death at Paris. — The young enthusiast. — Propositions
ardently received. — A young girl endowed by his Majesty. — The Em-
peror's supper. — Roustan's hunger. — Demand thoughtlessly granted. —
Constant's embarrassment. — The ruse discovered. — The Emperor sup-
ping on what Roustan had left Pages 180-183.
CHAPTER XVIII.
The battle of Essling. — Controversy between two friends of the Emperor. —
Aversion of the Duke of Montebello to the Duke of . — Rudeness of
the Duke of Montebello. — His bitterness on the occasion of the plague
at Jaffa. — Presentiments of Marshal Lannes. — A fatal mischance. —
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 11
Marshal Lannes struck by a cannon-ball. — The Emperor's grief. — The
Emperor on his knees before the marshal. — Heroic courage of Marshal
Lannes. — His death caused, perhaps, by a fast of twenty-four hours. —
The Emperor's affliction. — Tears of the old grenadiers. — Last words of
the marshal. — The corpse embalmed. — A horrible spectacle. — Courage
of physicians in the army. — Grief of the Duchess of Montebello. —
Thoughtlessness of the Emperor. — The Duchess of Montebello wishes
to quit the service of the Empress Pages 184-193.
CHAPTER XIX.
Disasters of the battle of Essling. — Murmurs of the soldiers. — Addresses to
the generals. — Courageous patience. — Bravery of Marshal Massena. —
Continued happiness. — Zeal of the army surgeons. — A word from the
Emperor. — M. Larrey. — Horse-soup. — Soup made in their helmets. —
Fortitude of the wounded. — Suicide of a cannoneer. — The old German
doorkeeper. — Princess Lichtenstein. — Good fare and dry linen. — Insult-
ing letter to the Princess Lichtenstein. — The Emperor furious. — The
Emperor's filial piety. — Kindness of Princess Lichtenstein. — Pardon
granted by the Emperor. — M. Larrey's remonstrances. — Two anecdotes
about this celebrated surgeon Pages 194-201.
CHAPTER XX.
Some reflections on the manners of the officers in the army. — Military style.
— The Prince de Neuchatel. — Generals Bertrand, Bacler d'Albe, etc. —
Prince Eugene, Marshals Oudinot, Davoust, Bessieres, Generals Rapp,
Lebrun, Lauriston, etc. — Affability and dignity. — Foppishness of the
jay-birds of the army. — Cartridge-box used as a dressing-case. — Officers
by courtesy. — Officers of the line. — Bravery and modesty. — Real courage
averse to duelling. — Disinterestedness. — Attachment of the officers to
their soldiers. — Breakfast of the grenadiers the day before the battle of
Wagram. — The Emperor's orders disregarded. — The Emperor indig-
nant. — The culprit shot. — The dog of the regiment. — Death of General
Oudet at "Wagram. — Confidence reposed in Constant by an officer, one of
his friends. — The Philadelphi. — Republican conspiracy against Napo-
leon.— Oudet chief of the conspiracy. — Bravery of this general. — His
mysterious death. — Suicides. — Military breakfast the day after the
battle of "Wagram. — A bold robbery. — Heroic courage of a Saxon
surgeon Pages 202-210.
CHAPTER XXI.
Benefactions of the Emperor during his stay at Schoenbrunn. — Anecdote. —
The young Mahommedan woman carried away by Corsairs. — A second
Helo'ise. — Second taking away. — Distress. — Journey on foot from Con-
12 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
stantinople to Vienna. — Desperate news. — Marriage of the young Mahom-
medan to a French officer. — Madame Dartois' journey to Constantinople.
— Terror and flight. — Madame Dartois a widow for the second time. —
Petitions to the Emperor. — M. Jauhert, the Duke of Bassano and General
Lebrun. — Generosity and gratitude. — The fifteenth of August at Vienna.
— Strange illumination. — Frightful accident. — The commissary-general
of police at Vienna. — Anecdote. — An officer's singular mistake. — Pas-
sion for play and treachery. — The spy surprised and shot. — Courage
of a conscript, and gayety of the Emperor. — Second attempt on the
Emperor's life. — The mistress of Lord Paget. — Advances made to the
countess in the Emperor's name — Hesitation. — Bold resolution. —
The man of the police. — The match fails. — Security of the Emperor.
— The Emperor's courage at Essling. — His solicitude for his soldiers. —
Schoenbrunn a rendezvous for learned men. — M. Maelzel, mechanician.
— The Emperor playing chess with an automaton. — The Emperor cheat-
ing and beaten. — Commendable action of the Prince de Neuchatel. —
Gratitude of two young girls Pages 211-222.
CHAPTER XXII.
Excursion to Raab. — The bishop and Soliman. — M. Jardin's mistake. —
Sympathy of the Emperor. — A painful duty. — Chouans of Normandy.
— The female brigand. — Heart-rending scene. — Conjugal tenderness.
— Despair and madness. — Appointment for a hunt with the Archduke
Charles. — Departure from Schoenbrunn. — Arrival at Passau. — The
widow of a German physician. — Terror of the inhabitants of Augsburg.
— Kindness of General Lecourbe. — A grenadier's act of humanity. —
Maternal despair and joy. — The Emperor's rapid journey. — Arrival at
Fontainebleau. — The Emperor's ill-humor. — The Emperor's partiality
for the manufactures of Lyons. — A forced walk of his Majesty. — The
Emperor's harsh welcome to the Empress. — Josephine's tears. — The Em-
peror's reparation Pages 223-232.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Erroneous opinions as to the divorce. — The Emperor's motives. — Tender
attentions. — Painful sacrifice. — Courage and resignation of the Em-
press.— A disappointed guest. — The Emperor's gayety. — The King of
Saxony at Fontainebleau. — Friendship of the two monarchs. — Excur-
sion on foot to the bridge of Jena. — The eye of the master. — Compli-
ment of the King of Saxony to his Majesty. — Preoccupation of the
Emperor. — Embarrassment of the Emperor and Empress. — Mutual
constraint. — Sadness of the stay at Fontainebleau. — The Emperor's
dejection. — The 30th of November. — A mournful repast. — A terrible
scene. — The Empress faints. — Words uttered by the Emperor. — Fetes
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 13
given by the city of Paris. — The pitiable condition of the Empress. —
Inexpressible enthusiasm. — The Emperor's agitation. — Description of
a grand imperial hunt. — Arrival of Prince Eugene. — His despair. —
Interview between the Emperor and the vice-king. -*- Touching words
of the Emperor. — Nocturnal visit of Josephine. — Josephine's departure
for Malmaison Pages 233-244.
CHAPTER XXTV.
Anecdotes anterior to the Emperor's second marriage. — The Empress Jose-
phine's jealousy of Madame Gazani. — The Emperor's interference. —
Change of roles. — Madame Gazani attacked by the Emperor and de-
fended by the Empress. — Furnishers shown to the door. — Female
conclave surprised by the Emperor. — Milliner sent to Bicetre. — Great
scandal. — The Emperor's indifference. — Audacity of a dressmaker. —
The Emperor censured to his face. — Constant's fear. — Precipitate
retreat. — The Emperor needing Constant's presence. — The Emperor
wishing Constant to write at his dictation. — Constant's refusal. —
Special permission to hunt granted to Constant. — Gun given Constant
by the Emperor. — The Emperor's preference for the guns of Louis XVI.
— Louis XVI. an excellent shot. — Napoleon's opinion of Louis XVI. —
Diplomatic breakfasts. — The saloon and family portraits. — Constant's
cousin at the theater of Saint^Cloud. — Curiosity and delight. — Pro-
vincial prudery. — Constant's cousin on guard against pickpockets at the
court theater. — Petitions presented to the Emperor by Constant. — Poor
success of petition from the family of Cerf-Berr. — Complete success of
Constant's petition for General Lemarrois. — Disgrace of Constant's uncle
unintentionally caused by Marshal Bessieres. — The marshal's reparation.
— A woman's imprudence, and a husband's misfortune . Pages 245-257.
CHAPTER XXV.
Various opinions at the chateau on the Emperor's marriage. — Conjectures
shown to be wrong. — Constant charged to renew the Emperor's ward-
robe.— His Majesty receives the portrait of Marie Louise. — Souvenir
of I'Ecole-Mllitaire. — Waltzing makes the Emperor dizzy. — Broken
chairs. — Dancing-lesson given the Emperor by Princess Stephanie. —
Departure of the Prince de Neuchatel for Vienna. — Marriage by proxy.
— Formation of the household of the Empress. — Wedding presents of
the Empress. — The slipper of good luck. — The Emperor's opinion of
Queen Caroline of Naples. -^-Mistake of Queen Caroline about the new
Empress. — Disappointed ambition. — The Empress deprived of her first
lady of honor. — Marie Louise's resentment against Queen Caroline. —
Correspondence between their Majesties. — The Emperor sends game to
the Empress. — Harshness of the Duke of Vicenza. — An order of the
14 TABLE OF CONTENTS,
i
Duke of Vicenza executed more quickly than an order of the Emperor.
— His Majesty's impatience. — Acts of kindness. — The coquetry of
glory. — Meeting of their imperial Majesties. — Moment of irritability.
— Marie Louise's amiability Pages 258-265.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Arrival of their Majesties at Compiegne. — The Emperor's jealousy. — In-
justice done by his Majesty to M. de Beauharnais. — Forgetfulness of
ceremonial. — The Emperor's coquetry. — First nocturnal visit of his
Majesty to the Empress. — The Emperor's opinion of Germans. — The
Emperor's gayety. — His devoted attentions to Marie Louise. — Report
denied. — Description of the Empress Marie Louise. — Instructions to
the Empress. — Comparison between the wives of the Emperor. — Differ-
ences and points of resemblance between the two Empresses. — The
memorial of Saint Helena. — Preference of the Emperor for the second
wife. — Economy of the Empress Marie Louise. — Her want of taste. —
The Emperor an excellent husband. — The Emperor's words contradicted
by Constant. — Remembrance of Josephine not effaced by Marie Louise.
— Prejudice of Marie Louise against her household and the Emperor's.
— Return of Constant from the Russian campaign. — Consideration of
the Emperor and of Queen Hortense. — Disdainful coldness of the
Empress. — Excessive consideration of the Empress Josephine. — In-
trigues among the ladies of the Empress. — Order restored by the Em-
peror. — The Emperor's watchfulness over the Empress. — Harshness
towards the ladies of the Empress. — Anecdote refuted . Pages 266-273.
CHAPTER XXVII.
Religious ceremony of the marriage of their Majesties. — The day after their
marriage. — Magnificent fetes. — The temples of glory and of hymen. —
Present of the city of Paris to the Empress. — Journey to the depart-
ments of the North. — Recollections of Josephine. — Triumph and isola-
tion. — Arrival at Antwerp. — Coolness between the King of Holland and
the Emperor. — Mutual distrust in the midst of the/e<es. — Rage of the
Emperor. — The two sovereigns and the two brothers. — Some traits in
the character of Prince Louis. — Error in regard to him. — Boat-race at
Flushing. — A storm. — Danger incurred by the Emperor. — Her Majesty's
anxiety. — Critical situation of an usher on duty. — A word from the
Emperor. — Rapid progress. — Fondness of the Empress for balls and the
stage. — Continued festivities. — Burning of the residence of the Prince
of Schwartzenberg. — Fortunate presence of mind of the Emperor and
the Vice-king of Italy. — The Emperor's words. — The three capitals of
the French Empire Pages 274r-284.
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 15
CHAPTER XXVIII.
The remains of Marshal Lannes transferred to the Pantheon. — Funeral cere-
monies. — Appearance of the Church of the Invalides on the day of the
ceremony. — Glorious inscription. — The procession. — Last adieux. — Sin-
cere tears. — Stay at Ramhouillet. — Duel between two pages of the
Emperor. — Paternal prudence of M. d'Assigny. — The St. Louis fete
in honor of the Empress. — Prognostics drawn after the event. — Review
of the Imperial Guard of Holland. — Serious disorders. — The Emperor's
solicitude. — An officer's happy idea. — Influence of the mere name of
the Emperor. — Napoleon godfather and Marie Louise godmother. —
Wise forethought of the Emperor. — Distraction of the Emperor during
the services at the church Pages 285-293.
CHAPTER XXIX.
Pregnancy of Marie Louise. — What was thought of it in public. — Beginning
of her illness. — All the palace in commotion. — M. Dubois. — The Em-
peror's agitation. — He is summoned from the bath-hall. — The Emperor's
words. — He goes up to the apartment of Marie Louise. — The instru-
ments.— Marie Louise's words. — The Emperor listens in agony at the
door of the room. — Madame de Montesquieu. — The King of Rome
comes into the world. — Paternal joy of the Emperor. — What he said to
me. — Booming of cannon. — Appearance of the streets of Paris. — The
twenty-second discharge. — Madame Blanchard. — Pages serving as cou-
riers. — Paris to the sixth and seventh stories. — Poets. — Goods. — The
ceremony of anointing. — Again Madame Blanchard. — The balloon falls.
— A whole village lamenting the death of an aeronaxit who is in Paris
in perfect health. — Doubts as to Marie Louise's pregnancy. — Napoleon
accused of libertinage. — His love for his children. — My son dies of
croup. — The Emperor's words. — My wife at Malmaison. — Kind act of
Josephine — Consolation Pages 294-302.
CHAPTER XXX.
Marie Louise and Josephine. — The young Empress' simplicity. — She thinks
herself ill. — Pills of bread and sugar. — German expressions of Marie
Louise. — Napoleon's tenderness. — Severe etiquette. — Cordial welcomes
of the Empress. — Caen. — An act of kindness. — Cherbourg. — A descent
into the basin of Cherbourg. — Baptism of the King of Rome. — Sou-
venirs of the fete. — The Emperor presents his son to those present. —
Banquet and concert at the Hotel de Ville. — Kind words. — The Tiber
at Paris. — The balloonist Garnerin. — The provinces. — The Puy-de-
Dome in flames. — The sea on fire in the port of Flushing. — Other
fetes. — The road to Saint-Cloud. — Fountains of barley-water and currant
16 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
wine. — Shrubs for lamp-posts. — Madame Blanchard. — The air-balloon.
— The great star and the | smaller stars. — Fairyland. — The doves. —
The storm. — The Emperor and the mayor of Lyons. — The courtiers.
— The musicians. — Prince Aldobrandini. — The Prince and Princess
Borghese. — The men of bad omen. — Women without shoes. — No car-
riages. — Act of gallantry and kindness of M. de Rernusat . Pages 303-312.
CHAPTER XXXI.
In 1811 and 1812. — Reflections. — The Empress' fete. — Road from Paris to
Trianon. — The people of the court and men of the people elbowing
each other at the fetes. — The public at the fetes. — All Paris at Ver-
sailles. — The grand walk of Versailles and the little saloons of Paris.
— The rain. — The lamps and the women. — The Empress addresses
gracious words to the ladies. — M. Alissan de Chazet. — A promenade
of their Majesties in the park of the Petit Trianon. — The island
of love. — Fairyland. — Barks manned by cupids. — Music which comes
one knows not whence. — A Flemish tableau acted. — All the provinces
of the Empire represented at this fete. — Marie Louise. — She said little
to the people of her household. — Her steward. — Among her intimate
friends she was good and gentle. — Her coolness towards Madame de
Montesquieu. — What was said on the subject. —Coolness between Ma-
dame de Montesquieu and the Duchess of Montebello. — Fear of a rival.
— The visits which the Empress made to her. — Reproach made by
Josephine to Madame de Montebello. — Concealed discontent of the
ladies of the palace. — Josephine and Madame de Montesquieu. — The
King of Rome is carried to Bagatelle and presented to Josephine. — Joy
of this Princess. — Her unselfishness. — She bathes the august infant
with her tears. — What Josephine said to me on this subject. — The
nurse of the King of Rome. — Marie Louise and her son. — Marie Louise
and Josephine. — Anecdote of private life. — The kiss on the check
wiped off with the handkerchief. — Marie Louise's dislike to heat and
odors Pages 313-323.
RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER I.
Success crowns his arms. — General Beaumont. — Colonel (now general)
Gerard. — One hundred and forty flags captured from the enemy. —
General Savary, Marshal Mortier, and Prince Murat. — Departure from
Berlin. — Grand Marshal Duroc breaks his collar-hone. — Stay of the
Emperor at Warsaw. — Enthusiasm of the Polish nohility. — The Em-
peror sees Madame Valevska for the first time. — Description of that
lady. — Agitation of the Emperor. — Singular mission confided to a great
personage. — First advances of the Emperor rejected. — Confusion of the
ambassador. — Preoccupation of his Majesty. — Correspondence. — Con-
sent.— First rendezvous. — Madame Valevska goes to the headquarters
at Finkenstein. — Madame Yalevska's affection for the Emperor. — Meals
taken tete-a-tete. — Constant alone attends them. — Conversation. — Oc-
cupation of Madame Valevska when not in the Emperor's presence.
— Gentle and equable temperament of Madame Valevska. — Madame
Valevska at Schoenbrunn with the Emperor. — Mysterious business com-
mitted to Constant. — The rain and the ruts. — Anxiety and suggestions
of the Emperor. — The carriage upset. — A dangerous fall. — Constant
supporting Madame Valevska. — Attentions lavished on Madame Valev-
ska by the Emperor. — The small hotel of la Chausse'e-d'Antin. — Vol-
untary seclusion of Madame Valevska. — Birth of a son. — Joy of Napo-
leon. — The new-born babe made a count. — Madame Valevska carries
her son to the Emperor. — The young count saved by Doctor Corvisart. —
The hair, the ring, and the motto. — The La Valliere of the empire, and
the favorites of the conqueror of Austerlitz.
I left the Emperor at Berlin, where each day, and each
hour of the day, he received news of some victory gained,
or some success obtained by his generals. General Beau-
19
20 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
mont1 presented to him eighty flags captured from the
enemy by his division, and Colonel Gerard 2 also presented
sixty taken from Blucher at the battle of Wismar. Madge-
burg had capitulated, and a garrison of sixty thousand
men had marched out under the eyes of General Savary.
Marshal Mortier occupied Hanover in the name of France,
and Prince Murat was on the point of entering Warsaw
after driving out the Russians.
War was about to recommence, or rather to be con-
tinued, against the latter ; and since the Prussian army
could now be regarded as entirely vanquished, the Em-
peror left Berlin in order to personally conduct operations
against the Russians.
We traveled in the little coaches of the country; and
as was the rule always on our journeys, the carriage of
the grand marshal preceded that of the Emperor. The
season, and the passage of such large numbers of artillery,
had rendered the roads frightful ; but notwithstanding
this we traveled very rapidly, until at last between Kutow
and Warsaw, the grand marshal's carnage was upset, and
his collar-bone broken. The Emperor arrived a short time
after this unfortunate accident, and had him borne un-
der his own eyes into the nearest post-house. We always
carried with us a portable medicine-chest in order that
needed help might be promptly given to the wounded.
His Majesty placed him in the hands of the surgeon, and
did not leave him till he had seen the first bandage applied.
1 Comte Marc Antoine Beaumont de la Bonniere, born in Touraine, 1760;
served 1795-1809; peer, 1814; died 1830. — Trans.
2 Etienne-Maurice Gerard, born at Damvilliers, 1773; served 1794-1815;
minister of war 1830, and marshal 1831, commanding the expedition to
Belgium ; died 1852. —Trans.
AT WARSAW. 21
At Warsaw, where his Majesty passed the entire month
of January, 1807, he occupied the grand palace. The
Polish nobility, eager to pay their court to him, gave in
his honor magnificent fetes and brilliant balls, at which
were present all the wealthiest and most distinguished
inhabitants of Warsaw.
At one of these reunions the Emperor's attention was
drawn to a young Polish lady named Madame Valevska,
twenty-two years of age, who had just married an old
noble of exacting temper and extremely harsh manners,
more in love with his titles than with his wife, whom,
however, he loved devotedly, and by whom he was more
respected than loved. The Emperor experienced much
pleasure at the sight of this lady, who attracted his atten-
tion at the first glance. She was a blonde, with blue
eyes, and skin of dazzling whiteness ; of medium height,
with a charming and beautifully proportioned figure. The
Emperor having approached her, immediately began a
conversation, which she sustained with much grace and
intelligence, showing that she had received a fine educa-
tion, and the slight shade of melancholy diffused over
her whole person rendered her still more seductive.
His Majesty thought he beheld in her a woman who
had been sacrificed, and was unhappy in her domestic
relations; and the interest with which this idea inspired
him caused him to be more interested in her than he
had ever been in any woman, a fact of which she could
not fail to be conscious. The day after the ball, the
Emperor seemed to me unusually agitated ; he rose from
his chair, paced to and fro, took his seat and rose again,
until I thought I should never finish dressing him. Imme-
22 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
diately after breakfast he ordered a person, whose name
I shall not give,1 to pay a visit to Madame Valevska, and
inform her of his subjugation and his wishes. She proudly
refused propositions which were perhaps too brusque, or
which perhaps the coquetry natural to all women led her
to repulse ; and though the hero pleased her, and the idea
of a lover resplendent with power and glory revolved
doubtless over and over in her brain, she had no idea
of surrendering thus without a struggle. The great per-
sonage returned in confusion, much astonished that he
had not succeeded in his mission ; and the next day when
the Emperor rose I found him still preoccupied, and he did
not utter a word, although he was in the habit of talking
to me at this time. He had written to Madame Valevska
several times, but she had not replied ; and his vanity was
much piqued by such unaccustomed indifference. At last
his affecting appeals having touched Madame Valevska's
heart, she consented to an interview between ten and eleven
o'clock that evening, which took place at the appointed time.
She returned a few days after at the same hour, and her
visits continued until the Emperor's departure.
Two months after the Emperor sent for her; and she
joined him at his headquarters in Finkenstein, where she
remained from this time, leaving at Warsaw her old
husband, who, deeply wounded both in his honor and his af-
fections, wished never to see again the wife who had aban-
doned him. Madame Valevska remained with the Emperor
until his departure, and then returned to her family, con-
stantly evincing the most devoted and, at the same time,
1 It was Murat, Marshal and Grand Duke of Berg, and later King of
Naples. — Trans.
MADAME VALEVSKA. 23
disinterested affection. The Emperor seemed to appreciate
perfectly the charms of this angelic woman, whose gentle
and self-abnegating character made a profound impression
on me. As they took their meals together, and I served
them alone, I was thus in a position to enjoy their conver-
sation, which was always amiable, gay, and animated on
the Emperor's part ; tender, impassioned, and melancholy
on that of Madame Valevska. When his Majesty was
absent, Madame Valevska passed all her time, either in
reading, or viewing through the lattice blinds of the Em-
peror's rooms the parades and evolutions which took place
in the court of honor of the chateau, and which he often
commanded in person. Such was her life, like her disposi-
tion, ever calm and equable ; and this loveliness of charac-
ter charmed the Emperor, and made him each day more
and more her slave.
After the battle of Wagram, in 1809, the Emperor took
up his residence at the palace of Schoenbrunn, and sent
immediately for Madame Valevska, for whom a charming
house had been rented and furnished in one of the fau-
bourgs of Vienna, a short distance from Schoenbrunn. I
went mysteriously to bring her eveiy evening in a close
carriage, with a single servant, without liver}-; she entered
by a secret door, and was introduced into the Emperor's
apartments. The road, although very short, was not with-
out danger, especially in rainy weather, on account of
ruts and holes which were encountered at every step ; and
the Emperor said to me almost every day, " Be very care-
ful, Constant, it has rained to-day ; the road will be bad.
Are you sure you have a good driver ? Is the carriage
in good condition ? " and other questions of the same kind,
24 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
which evidenced the deep and sincere affection he felt
for Madame Valevska. The Emperor was not wrong, be-
sides, in urging me to be careful; for one evening, when we
had left Madame Valevska's residence a little later than
usual, the coachman upset us, and in trying to avoid a rut>
drove the carriage over the edge of the road. I was on
the right of Madame Valevska; and the carriage fell on
that side, in such a position that I alone felt the shock
of the fall, since Madame Valevska falling on me, received
no injury. I was glad to be the means of saving her, and
when I said this she expressed her gratitude with a grace
peculiarly her own. My injuries were slight ; and I began
to laugh the first, in which Madame Valevska soon joined,
and she related our accident to his Majesty immediately
on our arrival.
I could not undertake to describe all the care and at-
tentions which the Emperor lavished upon her. He had
her brought to Paris, accompanied by her brother, a very
distinguished officer, and her maid, and gave the grand
marshal orders to purchase for her a pretty residence in the
Chaussee-d'Antin. Madame Valevska was very happy, and
often said to me, " All my thoughts, all my inspirations,
come from him, and return to him ; he is all my happiness,
my future, my life ! " She never left her house except
to come to the private apartments at the Tuileries, and
when this happiness could not be granted, went neither
to the theater, the promenade, nor in society, but remained
at home, seeing only very few persons, and writing to the
Emperor every day. At length she gave birth to a son,1
i Count Walewski, born 1810; minister to England, 1852; minister of
foreign affairs, 1855-1860 ; died 1868. — Trans.
MADAME VALEVSKA. 25
who bore a striking resemblance to the Emperor, to whom
this event was a source of great joy ; and he hastened to
her as soon as it was possible to escape from the chateau,
and taking the child in his arms, and caressing him, as
he had just caressed the mother, said to him, " I make
you a count." Later we shall see this son receiving at
Fontainebleau a final proof of affection.
Madame Valevska reared her son at her residence, never
leaving him, and carried him often to the chateau, where
I admitted them by the dark staircase, and when either was
sick the Emperor sent to them Monsieur Corvisart. This
skillful physician had on one occasion the happiness of
saving the life of the young count in a dangerous illness.
Madame Valevska had a gold ring made for the Em-
peror, around which she twined her beautiful blonde hair,
and on the inside of the ring were engraved these words :
" When you cease to love me, do not forget that I love your
The Emperor gave her no other name but Marie.
I have perhaps devoted too much space to this liaison
of the Emperor: but Madame Valevska was entirely dif-
ferent from the other women whose favor his Majesty ob-
tained; and she was worthy to be named the La Valliere
of the Emperor, who, however, did not show himself un-
grateful towards her, as did Louis XIV. towards the
only woman by whom he was beloved. Those who had,
like myself, the happiness of knowing and seeing her inti-
mately must have preserved memories of her which will
enable them to comprehend why in my opinion there ex-
ists so great a distance between Madame Valevska, the
tender and modest woman, rearing in retirement the son
she bore to the Emperor, and the favorites of the conqueror
of Austerlitz,
26 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER II.
The campaign in Poland. — The bat.tle of Eylau. — Te Deum and De profun-
dis. — Involuntary detention of the Prince de Ponte-Corvo. — Generals
d'Hautpoult, Corbineau, and Boursier fatally wounded. — Courage and
death of General d'Hautpoult. — The bon coup of General Ordener. —
Presentiment of General Corbineau. — Money from the private purse of
the Emperor advanced to General Corbineau a few moments before his
death. — Enthusiasm of the Poles. — Dissatisfaction of the French. —
Anecdotes. — The basis of the Polish language. — Misery and gayety. —
Hilarity of the soldiers excited by a reply of the Emperor. — The Persian
ambassador. — Envoy of General Gardanne to Persia. — Treasure not re-
covered.— The Emperor's stay at Finkenstein. — The Emperor cheats
at vingt-et-un. — The Emperor dividing his gains with Constant. —
Amusements of the grand officers of the Emperor. — Bet won by the
Duke of Vicenza. — Mystification of Monsieur B. d'A . — Prince
Jerome in love with an actress of Breslau. — Marriage of the actress
to the prince's valet de chambre. — Favor and jealousy. — The brothers
of the Emperor. — The Emperor loving and scolding his brothers. —
Marshal Lefebvre made Duke of Dantzig by the Emperor. — Anecdote
of Dantzig chocolate. — Battle of Friedland ; coincidence of dates. —
High spirits of the Emperor during the battle. — Peace with Russia. —
Interview of the Emperor and the Czar at Tilsit. — The King and Queen
of Prussia. — Gallantry and severity of Napoleon. — Rudeness of Grand
Duke Constantine. — Military banquet. — Concert by Baskir musicians.
— Visit of Constant to the Baskirs. — Meal a la Cossack. — Shooting
with the bow. — Constant successful. — Striking souvenir. — Muscovite
soldier decorated by the Emperor Napoleon. — Return through Bautzen
and Dresden, and re-entry into France.
The Russians, being incited to this campaign by the
remembrance of the defeat of Austerlitz, and by the fear
of seeing Poland snatched from their grasp, were not
deterred by the winter season, and resolved to open the
attack on the Emperor at once ; and as the latter was not
the man to allow himself to be forestalled, he consequently
abandoned his winter quarters, and quitted Warsaw at the
BATTLE OF EYLAU. 27
end of January. On the 8th of February the two armies
met at Eylau ; and there took place, as is well known, a
bloody battle, in which both sides showed equal courage,
and nearly fifteen thousand were left dead on the field of
battle, equally divided in number between the French and
Russians. The gain, or rather the loss, was the same to
both armies ; and a Te Deum was chanted at St. Petersburg
as well as at Paris, instead of the De Profundis, which
would have been much more appropriate. His Majesty
complained bitterly on returning to his headquarters that
the order he had sent to General Bernadotte had not been
executed, and in consequence of this his corps had taken
no part in the battle, and expressed his firm conviction that
the victory, which remained in doubt between the Emperor
and General Benningsen,1 would have been decided in favor
of the former had a fresh army-corps arrived during the
battle, according to the Emperor's calculations. Most un-
fortunately the aide-de-camp bearing the Emperor's orders
to the Prince of Ponte-Corvo had fallen into the hands of
a party of Cossacks ; and when the Emperor was informed
of this circumstance the day after the battle, his resentment
was appeased, though not his disappointment. Our troops
bivouacked on the field of battle, which his Majesty visited
three times, for the purpose of directing the assistance of
the wounded, and removal of the dead.
Generals d'Hautpoult,2 Corbineau,3 and Boursier were
1 Count Levin August Benningsen, born at Brunswick, 1745, headed the
conspirators who put to death the Emperor Paul ; commanded the Russian
army at Eylau ; died 182(5. — Trans.
2 Jean Joseph d'Hautpoult-Salette, born 1754, of a noble family in Lan-
guedoc ; general of division under Moreau, distinguished himself at Austerlitz
and Jena. Senator, 1806. — Trans.
8 Claude Louis Corbineau, born at Laval, 1772 ; general of brigade, 1806.
—Trans.
28 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
mortally wounded at Eylau ; and it seems to me I can still
hear the brave d'Hautpoult saying to his Majesty, just as
he dashed off at a gallop to charge the enemy : " Sire, you
will now see my great claws ; they will pierce through the
enemy's squares as if they were butter ! " An hour after
he was no more. One of his regiments, being engaged in
the interval with the Russian army, was mowed down with
grape-shot, and hacked to pieces by the Cossacks, only
eighteen men being left. General d'Hautpoult, forced to
fall back three times with his division, led it back twice to
the charge ; and as he threw himself against the enemy the
third time shouted loudly, " Forward, cuirassiers, in God's
name ! forward, my brave cuirassiers ! " But the grape-
shot had mowed down too many of these brave fellows;
very few were left to follow their chief, and he soon fell
pierced with wounds in the midst of a square of Russians
into which he had rushed almost alone.
I think it was in this battle also that General Ordener1
killed with his own hands a general officer of the enemy.
The Emperor asked if he could not have taken him alive.
" Sire," replied the general with his strong German ac-
cent, " I gave him only one blow, but I tried to make it
a good one." On the very morning of the battle, General
Corbineau, the Emperor's aide-de-camp, while at breakfast
with the officers on duty, declared to them that he was
oppressed by the saddest presentiments ; but these gentle-
men, attempting to divert his mind, turned the affair into
a joke. General Corbineau a few moments after received
an order from his Majesty, and not finding some money
1 Michel Ordener, born in department of the Moselle, 1755; made gen-
eral of division at Austerlitz, 1805; died 1811. — Trans.
GENERAL CORBINEAU. 29
he wished at Monsieur de Meneval's quarters, came to
me, and I gave it to him from the Emperors private purse ;
at the end of a few hours I met Monsieur de Meneval,
to whom I rendered an account of General Corbineau's
request, and the sum I had lent him. I was still speak-
ing to Monsieur de Meneval, when an officer passing at
a gallop gave us the sad news of the general's death. I
have never forgotten the impression made on me by this
sad news, and I still find no explanation of the strange
mental distress which gave warning to this brave soldier
of his approaching end.
Poland was relying upon the Emperor to re-establish
her independence, and consequently the Poles were filled
with hope and enthusiasm on witnessing the arrival of the
French army. As for our soldiers, this winter campaign
was most distasteful to them; for cold and wretchedness,
bad weather and bad roads, had inspired them with an
extreme aversion to this country.
In a review at Warsaw, at which the inhabitants
crowded around our troops, a soldier began to swear
roundly against the snow and mud, and, as a consequence,
against Poland and the Poles. " You are wrong, Mon-
sieur soldier," replied a young lady of a good bourgeois
family of the town, " not to love our country, for we love
the French very much." — " You are doubtless very lovable,
mademoiselle," replied the soldier; "but if you wish to
persuade me of the truth of what you say, you will pre-
pare us a good dinner, my comrade and I." — " Come,
then, messieurs," said the parents of the young Pole now
advancing, "and we will drink together to the health of
your Emperor." And they really carried off with them
30 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
the two soldiers, who partook of the best dinner the coun-
try afforded.
The soldiers were accustomed to say that four words
formed the basis of the Polish language, — Meba f niema ;
" bread ? there is none ; " voia f sara ; " water ? they have
gone to draw it."
As the Emperor was one day passing through a column
of infantry in the suburbs of Mysigniez, where the troops
endured great privations since the bad roads prevented
the arrival of supplies, " Papa, Mela" cried a soldier.
"Niema" immediately replied the Emperor. The whole
column burst into shouts of laughter, and no further
request was made.
During the Emperor's somewhat extended stay at Fink-
enstein, he received a visit from the Persian ambassador,
and a few grand reviews were held in his honor. His
Majesty sent in return an embassy to the Shah, at the
head of which he placed General Gardanne, who it was
then said had an especial reason for wishing to visit Per-
sia. It was rumored that one of his relations, after a long
residence at Teheran, had been compelled, having taken
part in an insurrection against the Franks, to quit this
capital, and before his flight had buried a considerable
treasure in a certain spot, the description of which he
had carried to France. I will add, as a finale to this story,
some facts which I have since learned. General Gar-
danne found the capital in a state of confusion; and
being able neither to locate the spot nor discover the
treasure, returned from his embassy with empty hands.
Our stay at Finkenstein became very tiresome ; and in
order to while away the time, his Majesty sometimes played
THE EMPEROR CHEATS AT CARDS. 31
with his generals and aides-de-camp. The game was usu-
ally vingt-et-un ; and the Great Captain took much pleasure
in cheating, holding through several deals the cards ne-
cessary to complete the required number, and was much
amused when he won the game by this finesse. I fur-
nished the sum necessary for his game, and as soon as he
returned to his quarters received orders to make out his
account. He always gave me half of his gains, and I di-
vided the remainder between the ordinary valets de chambre.
I have no intention, in this journal, of conforming to a
very exact order of dates ; and whenever there recurs to
my memory a fact or an anecdote which seems to me de-
serving of mention, I shall jot it down, at whatever point
of my narrative I may have then reached, fearing lest,
should I defer it to its proper epoch, it might be forgotten.
In pursuance of this plan I shall here relate, in passing,
some souvenirs of Saint^Cloud or the Tuileries, although
we are now in camp at Finkenstein. The pastimes in
which his Majesty and his general officers indulged recalled
these anecdotes to my recollection. These gentlemen often
made wagers or bets among themselves ; and I heard the
Duke of Vicenza one day bet that Monsieur Jardin, junior,
equerry of his Majesty, mounted backwards on his horse,
could reach the end of the avenue in front of the chateau
in the space of a few moments ; which bet the equerry
won.
Messieurs Fain, Meneval, and Ivan once played a sin-
gular joke on Monsieur B. d'A , who, they knew, was
subject to frequent attacks of gallantly. They dressed a
young man in woman's clothes, and sent him to promenade,
thus disguised, in an avenue near the chateau. Monsieur
32 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
B. d'A was veiy near-sighted, and generally used an
eyeglass. These gentlemen invited him to take a walk ;
and as soon as he was outside the door, he perceived the
beautiful promenader, and could not restrain an exclama-
tion of surprise and joy at the sight.
His friends feigned to share his delight, and urged
him, as the most enterprising, to make the first advances,
whereupon, in great excitement, he hastened after the pre-
tended young lady, whom they had taught his role per-
fectly. Monsieur d'A outdid himself in politeness,
in attentions, in offers of service, insisting eagerly on doing
the honors of the chateau to his new conquest. The other
acted his part perfectly ; and after many coquettish airs on
his side, and many protestations on the part of Monsieur
d'A — — , a rendezvous was made for that very evening;
and the lover, radiant with hope, returned to his friends,
maintaining much discretion and reserve as to his good for-
tune, while he really would have liked to devour the time
which must pass before the day was over. At last the
evening arrived which was to put an end to his impatience,
and bring the time of his interview ; and his disappointment
and rage may be imagined when he discovered the decep-
tion which had been practiced on him. Monsieur d'A
wished at first to challenge the authors and actors in this
hoax, and could with great difficulty be appeased.
It was, I think, on the return from this campaign, that
Prince Jerome saw at Breslau, at the theater of that town,
a young and very pretty actress, who played her part badly,
but sang very well. He made advances, which she received
coolly : but kings do not sigh long in vain ; they place
too heavy a weight in the balance against discretion. His
THE EMPEROR'S BROTHERS. 33
Majesty, the King of Westphalia, carried off his conquest
to Cassel, and at the end of a short time she was married
to his first valet de chambre, Albertoni, whose Italian mor-
als were not shocked by this marriage. Some disagree-
ment, the cause of which I do not know, having caused
Albertoni to quit the king, he returned to Paris with lus
wife, and engaged in speculations, in which he lost all that
he had gained, and I have been told that he returned to
Italy. One thing that always appeared to me extraordi-
nary was the jealousy of Albertoni towards his wife — an
exacting jealousy which kept his eyes open towards all
men except the king ; for I am well convinced that the
liaison continued after their marriage.
The brothers of the Emperor, although kings, were
sometimes kept waiting in the Emperor's antechamber.
King Jerome came one morning by order of the Emperor,
who, having not yet risen, told me to beg the King of
Westphalia to wait. As the Emperor wished to sleep a
little longer, I remained with the other servants hi the
saloon which was used as an antechamber, and the king
waited with us ; I do not say in patience, for he constantly
jnoved from chair to chair, promenaded back and forth
between the window and the fireplace, manifesting much
annoyance, and speaking now and then to me, whom he
always treated with great kindness. Thus more than half
an hour passed ; and at last I entered the Emperor's room,
and when he had put on his dressing-gown, informed him
that his Majesty was waiting, and after introducing him,
I withdrew. The Emperor gave him a cool reception, and
lectured him severely, and as he spoke very loud, I heard
him against my will ; but the king made his excuses in so
34 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
low a tone that I could not hear a word of his justification.
Such scenes were often repeated, for the prince was dis-
sipated and prodigal, which displeased the Emperor above
all things else, and for which he reproved him severely,
although he loved him, or rather because he loved him so
much ; for it is remarkable, that notwithstanding the fre-
quent causes of displeasure which his family gave him,
the Emperor still felt for all his relations the warmest
affection.
A short time after the taking of Dantzig (May 24,
1807), the Emperor, wishing to reward Marshal Lefebvre
for the recent services which he had rendered, had him
summoned at six o'clock in the morning. His Majesty
was in consultation with the chief-of-staff of the army
when the arrival of the marshal was announced. "Ah!"
said he to Berthier, "the duke does not delay." Then,
turning to the officer on duty, " Say to the Duke of Dant-
zig that I have summoned him so early in order that he
may breakfast with me." The officer, thinking that the
Emperor had misunderstood the name, remarked to him,
that the person who awaited his orders was not the Duke
of Dantzig, but Marshal Lefebvre. " It seems, monsieur,
that you think me more capable of making a count \_faire
un conte] than a duke."
The officer was somewhat disconcerted by this reply;
but the Emperor reassured him with a smile, and said, " Go,
give the duke my invitation, and say to him that in a quar-
ter of an hour breakfast will be served." The officer re-
turned to the marshal, who was, of course, very anxious to
know why the Emperor had summoned him. " Monsieur
le Due, the Emperor invites you to breakfast with liim, and
MARSHAL LEFEBVRE. 35
begs you to wait a quarter oi an hour." The marshal,
not having noticed the new title which the officer gave
him, replied by a nod, and seated himself on a folding
chair on the back of which hung the Emperor's sword,
which the marshal inspected and touched with admiration
and respect. The quarter of an hour passed, when another
ordnance officer came to summon the marshal to the Em-
peror, who was already at table with the chief-of-staff ; and
as he entered, the Emperor saluted him with, " Good-day,
Monsieur le Due; be seated next to me."
The marshal, astonished at being addressed by this
title, thought at first that his Majesty was jesting; but
seeing that he made a point of calling him Monsieur le
Due he was overcome with astonishment. The Emperor,
to increase his embarrassment, said to him, " Do you like
chocolate, Monsieur le Due?" — "But — yes, Sire." —
" Well, we have none for breakfast, but I will give you a
pound from the very town of Dantzig; for since you have
conquered it, it is but just that it should make you some
return." Thereupon the Emperor left the table, opened
a little casket, took therefrom a package in the shape of a
long square, and handed it to Marshal Lefebvre, saying to
him, " Duke of Dantzig, accept this chocolate ; little gifts
preserve friendship." The marshal thanked his Majestj-,
put the chocolate in his pocket, and took his seat again at
table with the Emperor and Marshal Berthier. A pdtS in
the shape of the town of Dantzig was in the midst of the
table ; and when this was to be served the Emperor said to
the new duke, " They could not have given this dish a form
which would have pleased me more. Make the attack.
Monsieur le Due ; behold your conquest ; it is yours to do
36 RECOLLECTIONS OF NATOLEON.
the honors." The duke obeyed; and the three guests ate
of the pie, which they found much to their taste. On his
return, the marshal, Duke of Dantzig, suspecting a sur-
prise hi the little package which the Emperor had given
him, hastened to open it, and found a hundred thousand
crowns in bank-notes. In imitation of this magnificent
present, the custom was established in the army of calling
money, whether in pieces or in bank-notes, Dantzig choco-
late ; and when the soldiers wished to be treated by any
comrade who happened to have a little money in his
pocket, would say to him, " Come, now, have you no
Dantzig chocolate in your pocket?"
The almost superstitious fancy of his Majesty the
Emperor in regard to coincidences in dates and anniver-
saries was strengthened still more by the victory of Fried-
land, which was gained on June 14, 1807, seven years to
the very day after the battle of Marengo. The severity
of the winter, the difficulty in furnishing supplies (for
which the Emperor had however made every possible pro-
vision and arrangement), added to the obstinate courage of
the Russians, had made this a severe campaign, especially
to conquerors whom the incredible rapidity of their suc-
cesses in Prussia had accustomed to sudden conquests.
The division of glory which he had been compelled to
make with the Russians was a new experience in the Em-
peror's military career, but at Friedland he regained his
advantage and his former superiority. His Majesty, by a
feigned retreat, in which he let the enemy see only a part
of his forces, drew the Russians into a decoy on the Elbe,
so complete that they found themselves shut in between
that river and our army. This victory was gained by troops
BATTLE OF FRIEDLAND. 37
of the line and cavalry ; and the Emperor did not even find
it necessary to use his Guards, while those of the Emperor
Alexander was almost entirely destroyed in protecting the
retreat, or rather the flight, of the Russians, who could escape
from the pursuit of our soldiers only by the bridge of
Friedland, a few narrow pontoons, and an almost impassable
ford.
The regiments of the line in the French army covered
the plain; and the Emperor, occupying a post of observa-
tion on a height whence he could overlook the whole field
of battle, was seated in an armchair near a mill, surrounded
by his staff. I never saw him in a gayer mood, as he con-
versed with the generals who awaited his orders, and seemed
to enjoy eating the black Russian bread which was baked
in the shape of bricks. This bread, made from inferior rye
flour, and full of long straws, was the food of all the
soldiers ; and they knew that his Majesty ate it as well
as themselves. The beautiful weather favored the skillful
maneuvers of the army, and they performed prodigies of
valor. The cavalry charges especially were executed with
so much precision that the Emperor sent his congratu-
lations to the regiments.
About four o'clock in the afternoon, when the two
armies were pressing each other on every side, and thou-
sands of cannon caused the earth to tremble, the Emperor
exclaimed, "If this continues two hours longer, the French
army will be left standing on the plain alone." A few
moments after he gave orders to the Count Dorsenne,1 gen-
eral of the foot grenadiers of the Old Guard, to fire on a
1 Jean Marie Francois Dorsenne, born in the Pas de Calais. 1773; general
of division, 1809 ; commanded in north of Spain, 1811 ; died 1812. — Trans.
38 BECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
brick-yard, behind which masses of Russians and Prussians
were intrenched ; and in the twinkling of an eye they were
compelled to abandon this position, and a horde of sharp-
shooters set out in pursuit of the fugitives.
The Guard made this movement at five o'clock, and
at six the battle was entirely won. The Emperor said to
those who were near him, while admiring the splendid be-
havior of the Guard, " Look at those brave fellows, with
a good-will they would run over the stone-slingers and
pop-guns of the line, in order to teach them to charge
without waiting for them ; but it would have been use-
less, as the work has been well done without them."
His Majesty went in person to compliment several regi-
ments which had fought the whole day. A few words,
a smile, a salute of the hand, even a nod, was sufficient
recompense to these brave fellows who had just been
crowned with victory.
The number of the dead and prisoners was enormous;
and seventy banners, with all the equipments of the Russian
army, were left in the hands of the French.
After this decisive day, the Emperor of Russia, who
had rejected the proposals made by his Majesty after the
battle of Eylau, found himself much disposed to make the
same on his own account; and General Bennigsen conse-
quently demanded an armistice in the name of his Emperor,
which his Majesty granted ; and a short time after a treaty
of peace was signed, and the famous interview between
the two sovereigns held on the banks of the Niemen. I
shall pass over rapidly the details of this meeting, which
have been published and repeated innumerable times. His
Majesty and the young Czar conceived a mutual affection
AT TILSIT. 39
from the first moment of their meeting, and each gave
f&tes and amusements in honor of the other. They were
inseparable in public and in private, and passed hours to-
gether, in meetings for pleasure only, from which all
intruders were carefully excluded. The town of Tilsit
was declared neutral ; and French, Russians, and Prussians
followed the example set them by their sovereigns, and
lived together in the most intimate brotherhood.
The King and Queen of Prussia soon after joined their
Imperial Majesties at Tilsit ; though this unfortunate mon-
arch, to whom there remained hardly one town of the whole
kingdom he had possessed, was naturally little disposed to
take part in so much festivity. The queen was beautiful
and graceful, though perhaps somewhat haughty and severe,
which did not prevent her being adored by all who sur-
rounded her. The Emperor sought to please her, and she
neglected none of the innocent coquetries of her sex in
order to soften the heart of the conqueror of her husband.
The queen several times dined with the sovereigns, seated
between the two Emperors, who vied with each other in
overwhelming her with attentions and gallantries. It is
well known that the Emperor Napoleon offered her one day
a splendid rose, which after some hesitation she accepted,
saying to his Majesty with a most charming smile, " With
Magdeburg, at least." And it is well known also that the
Emperor did not accept the condition.
The princess had among her ladies of honor a very old
woman, who was most highly esteemed. One evening as
the queen was being escorted into the dining-hall by the
two Emperors, followed by the King of Prussia, Prince
Murat, and the Grand Duke Constantine, this old lady of
40 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
honor gave way to the two latter princes. Grand Duke
Constantine would not take precedence of her, but entirely
spoiled this act of politeness by exclaiming in a rude tone,
" Pass, madame, pass on ! " And turning towards the
King of Naples, added, loud enough to be heard, this dis-
graceful exclamation, " The old woodcock ! "
One may judge from this that Prince Constantine was
far from exhibiting towards ladies that exquisite polite-
ness and refined gallantry which distinguished his august
brother.
The- French Imperial Guard on one occasion gave a
dinner to the guard of the Emperor Alexander. At the
end of this exceedingly gay and fraternal banquet, each
French soldier exchanged uniforms with a Russian, and
promenaded thus before the eyes of the Emperors, who
were much amused by this impromptu disguise.
Among the numerous attentions paid by the Russian
Emperor to our own, I would mention a concert by a troop
of Baskir musicians, whom their sovereign brought over
the Niemen for this purpose, and never certainly did more
barbarous music resound in the ears of his Majesty; and
this strange harmony, accompanied by gestures equally as
savage, furnished one of the most amusing spectacles that
can be imagined. A few days after this concert, I obtained
permission to make the musicians a visit, and went to their
camp, accompanied by Roustan, who was to serve as inter-
preter. "We enjoyed the pleasure of being present at a
repast of the Baskirs, where around immense wooden tubs
were seated groups consisting of ten men, each holding in
his hand a piece of black bread which he moistened with
a ladleful of water, in which had been diluted something
TEE BASKIIiS. 41
resembling red clay. After the repast, they gave us an ex-
hibition of shooting with the bow ; and Roustan, to whom
this exercise recalled the scenes of his youth, attempted
to shoot an arrow, but it fell at a few paces, and I saw a
smile of scorn curl the thick lips of our Baskirs. I then
tried the bow in my turn, and acquitted myself in such a
manner as to do me honor in the eyes of our hosts, who
instantly surrounded me, congratulating me by their ges-
tures on my strength and skill ; and one of them, even more
enthusiastic and more amicable than the others, gave me a
pat on the shoulder which I long remembered.
The day succeeding this famous concert, the treaty of
peace between the three sovereigns was signed, and his
Majesty made a visit to the Emperor Alexander, who
received him at the head of his guard. The Emperor
Napoleon asked his illustrious ally to show him the bravest
grenadier of this handsome and valiant troop ; and when he
was presented to his Majesty, he took from his breast his
own cross of the Legion of Honor, and fastened it on the
breast of the Muscovite soldier, amid the acclamations and
hurrahs of all his comrades. The two Emperors embraced
each other a last time on the banks of the Niemen, and his
Majesty set out on the road to Koenigsberg.
At Bautzen the King of Saxony came out to meet him,
and their Majesties entered Dresden together. King Fred-
erick Augustus gave a most magnificent reception to the
sovereign who, not content with giving him a scepter,
had also considerably increased the hereditary estates of the
elector of Saxony. The good people of Dresden, during
the week we passed there, treated the French more as
brothers and compatriots than as allies.
42 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
But it was nearly ten months since we had left Paris ;
and in spite of all the charms of the simple and cordial
hospitality of the Germans, I was very eager to see again
France and my own family.
THE YOUNG NAPOLEON. 43
CHAPTER III.
Death of the young Napoleon, son of the King of Holland. — Lovely dispo-
sition of this child. — Weakness of the nurse, and firmness of the young
prince. — Submissiveness of the young prince to the Emperor. — His
affection for the Emperor. — An attractive family portrait. — The shoe-
maker, and the portrait of my Uncle Bibiche. — The gazelles of Saint-
Cloud. — The King and Queen of Holland reconciled by the young
Napoleon. — The Emperor's affection for his nephew. — The designated
heir of the Empire. — Predictions of misfortune. — First ideas of divorce.
— Grief of the Empress Josephine on the death of the young Napoleon.
— Despair of Queen Horteuse. — The suggestion of a chamberlain. —
Universal sorrow caused by the death of the young prince.
It was during the glorious campaign of Prussia and
Poland that the imperial family was plunged in the deepest
sorrow by the death of the young Napoleon, eldest son of
King Louis of Holland. This child bore a striking resem-
blance to his father, and consequently to his uncle. His
hair was blond, but would probably have darkened as he
grew older. His eyes, which were large and blue, shone
with extraordinary brilliancy when a deep impression was
made on his young mind. Gentle, lovable, and full of
candor and gayety, he was the delight of the Emperor, es-
pecially on account of the firmness of his character, winch
was so remarkable that, notwithstanding his extreme youth,
nothing could make him break his word. The following
anecdote which I recall furnishes an instance of this.
He was very fond of strawberries ; but they caused him
such long and frequent attacks of vomiting that his mother
became alarmed, and positively forbade his eating them,
44 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
expressing a wish that every precaution should be taken to
keep out of the young prince's sight a fruit which was so
injurious to him.1 The little Napoleon, whom the injurious
effects of the strawberries had not disgusted with them, was
surprised to no more see his favorite dish; but bore the
deprivation patiently, until one day he questioned his nurse,
and very seriously demanded an explanation on this subject,
which the good woman was unable to give, for she indulged
him even to the point of spoiling him. He knew her weak-
ness, and often took advantage of it, as in this instance
for example. He became angry, and said to his nurse in a
tone which had as much and even more effect on her than
the Emperor or the King of Holland could have had, " I
will have the strawberries. Give them to me at once."
The poor nurse begged him to be quiet, and said that she
would give them to him, but she was afraid that if anything
happened he would tell the queen who had done this. " Is
that all?" replied Napoleon eagerly. "Have no fear; I
promise not to tell."
The nurse yielded, and the strawberries had their usual
effect. The queen entered while he was undergoing the
punishment for his self-indulgence ; and he could not deny
that he had eaten the forbidden fruit, as the proofs were
too evident. The queen was much incensed, and wished
to know who had disobeyed her ; she alternately entreated
and threatened the child, who still continued to reply with
the greatest composure, " I promised not to tell." And
in spite of the great influence she had over him, she could
not force him to tell her the name of the guilty person.
1 Strawberries produced the same effect on the King of Rome. More
carefully watched or more docile, he stopped eating them when Madame de
Montesquieu, his governess, forbade him. — Constant.
THE YOUNG NAPOLEON. 45
Young Napoleon was devoted to his uncle, and mani-
fested in his presence a patience and self-control very for-
eign to his usual character. The Emperor often took him
on his knee during breakfast, and amused himself making
him eat lentils one by one. The pretty face of the child
became crimson, his whole countenance manifested disgust
and impatience ; but his Majesty could prolong this sport
without fearing that his nephew would become angry, which
he would have infallibly done with any one else.
At such a tender age could he have been conscious of
his uncle's superiority to all those who surrounded him?
King Louis, his father, gave him each day a new plaything,
chosen exactly to suit his fancy: but the child preferred
those he received from his uncle ; and when his father said
to him, " But, see here, Napoleon, those are ugly things ;
mine are prettier." — " No," said the young prince, " they
are very nice ; my uncle gave them to me."
One morning when he visited his Majesty, he crossed
a saloon where amid many great personages was Prince
Murat, at that time, I think, Grand Duke of Berg. The
child passed through without saluting any one, when the
prince stopped him and said, " Will you not tell me good-
morning?" — "No," replied Napoleon, disengaging himself
from the arms of the Grand Duke; "not before my uncle
the Emperor"
At the end of a review which had taken place in the
court of the Tuileries, and on the Place du Carrousel, the
Emperor went up to his apartments, and threw his hat on
one sofa, his sword on another. Little Napoleon entered,
took his uncle's sword, passed the belt round his neck, put
the hat on his head, and then kept step gravely, humming
46 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
a march behind the Emperor and Empress. Her Majesty,
turning round, saw him, and caught him in her arms, ex-
claiming, " What a pretty picture ! " Ingenious in seizing
every occasion to please her husband, the Empress sum-
moned M. Gerard, and ordered a portrait of the young
prince in this costume ; and the picture was brought to the
palace of Saint-Cloud the very day on which the Empress
heard of the death of this beloved child.
He was hardly three years old when, seeing his shoe-
maker's bill paid with five-franc pieces, he screamed loudly,
not wishing that they should give away the picture of his
Uncle Bibiche. The name of Bibiche thus given by the
young prince to his Majesty originated in this manner.
The Empress had several gazelles placed in the park of
Saint- Cloud, which were very much afraid of all the in-
habitants of the palace except the Emperor, who allowed
them to eat tobacco out of his snuff-box, and thus induced
them to follow him, and took much pleasure in giving them
the tobacco by the hands of the little Napoleon, whom he
also put on the back of one of them. The latter desig-
nated these pretty animals by no other name than that of
Bibiche, and amused himself by giving the same name to
his uncle.
This charming child, who was adored by both father
and mother, used his almost magical influence over each in
order to reconcile them to each other. He took his father
by the hand, who allowed himself to be thus conducted
by this angel of peace to Queen Hortense, and then said
to him, "Kiss her, papa, I beg you;" and was perfectly
overjoyed when he had thus succeeded in reconciling
these two beings whom he loved with an equal affection.
CHARACTER OF THE YOUNG NAPOLEON. 47
How could such a beautiful character fail to make this
angel beloved by all who knew him ? How could the Em-
peror, who loved all children, fail to be devoted to him,
even had he not been his nephew, and the godson of that
good Josephine whom he never ceased to love for a single
instant? At the age of seven years, when that malady,
the croup, so dangerous to children, snatched him from his
heart-broken family, he already gave evidence of remark-
able traits of character, which were the foundation of most
brilliant hopes. His proud and haughty character, while
rendering him susceptible of the noblest impressions, was
not incompatible with obedience and docility. The idea of
injustice was revolting to him ; but he readily submitted
to reasonable advice and rightful authority.
First-born of the new dynasty, it was fitting he should
attract as he did the deepest tenderness and solicitude of
the chief. Malignity and envy, which ever seek to defame
and villify the great, gave slanderous explanations of this
almost paternal attachment ; but wise and thoughtful
men saw in this adoptive tenderness only what it plainly
evinced, — the desire and hope of transmitting his immense
power, and the grandest name in the universe, to an heir,
indirect it is true, but of imperial blood, and who, reared
under the eyes, and by the direction of the Emperor, would
have been to him all that a son could be. The death of
the young Napoleon appeared as a forerunner of misfor-
tunes in the midst of his glorious career, disarranging all
the plans which the monarch had conceived, and decided
him to concentrate all his hopes on an heir in a direct
line.
It was then that the first thoughts of divorce arose in
48 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
his mind, though it did not take place until two years later,
and only began to be the subject of private conversation
during the stay at Fontainebleau. The Empress readily
saw the fatal results to her of the death of this godson,
and from that time she dwelt upon the idea of this terrible
event which ruined her life. This premature death was to
her an inconsolable grief ; and she shut herself up for three
days, weeping bitterly, seeing no one except her women,
and taking almost no nourishment. It even seemed that
she feared to be distracted from her grief, as she surrounded
herself with a sort of avidity with all that could recall her
irreparable loss. She obtained with some difficulty from
Queen Hortense some of the young prince's hair, which
his heart-broken mother religiously preserved ; and the Em-
press had this hair framed on a cushion of black velvet,
and kept it always near her. I often saw it at Malmaison,
and never without deep emotion.
But how can I attempt to describe the despair of Queen
Hortense, of that woman who became as perfect a mother
as she had been a daughter. She never left her son a
moment during his illness ; and when he expired in her
arms, still wishing to remain near his lifeless body, she
fastened her arms through those of her chair, in order
that she might not be torn from this heartrending scene.
At last nature succumbed, to such poignant grief: the
unhappy mother fainted ; and the opportunity was taken to
remove her to her own apartment, still in the chair which
she had not left, and which her arms clasped convulsively.
On awaking, the queen uttered piercing screams, and her
dry and staring eyes and white lips gave reason to fear that
she was near her end. Nothing could bring tears to her
GRIEF OF QUEEN HORTENSE. 49
eyes, until at last a chamberlain conceived the idea of
bringing the young prince's body, and placing it on his
mother's knees ; and this had such an effect on her that
her tears burst forth and saved her life, while she covered
with kisses the cold and adored remains. All France
shared the grief of the Queen of Holland.
50 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER IV.
Return from the campaign of Prussia and Poland. — Restoration of the
chateau of Rambouillet. — Portraits in the bathroom. — Surprise and
disgust of the Emperor. — Stay of the count at Fontainebleau. — Un-
just demands of innkeepers. — Extortion upon travelers. — Cardinal Ca-
prara and bouillon at six hundred francs. — Fixed charges ordered by the
Emperor. — Arrival at Paris of Princess Catherine of Wiirtemberg. —
Marriage of this princess to the King of Westphalia. — Relations of
King Jerome towards his first wife. — The valet de chambre Rico sent
to America. — .Affection of the queen of Westphalia for her husband. —
The queen's letter to her father. — Arrest of the queen by the Marquis
de Maubreuil. — Robbery of diamonds. — Presents of the Czar to the
Emperor. — Promenades of the Emperor at Fontainebleau. — Kindness
shown by the Emperor and Empress to an old clergyman, and the
Emperor's conversation with this old man. — The Cardinal de Belloy,
Archbishop of Paris. — Touching address of a prelate, who was almost a
centenarian. — The Emperor's hunt. — Costume and hunting equipages.
— Gallant intrigue of the Emperor at Fontainebleau. — Mysterious com-
mission given to Constant in the darkness. — Unsuccessful embassy. —
The Emperor's gayety. — The Emperor guided by Constant in the
darkness. — Jests and thanks of the Emperor. — Sudden coolness of the
Emperor. — Theater at Fontainebleau. — Misadventure of Mademoiselle
Mars. — Loss promptly repaired.
We arrived at Saint-Cloud on the 27th of July ; and the
Emperor passed the summer partly in this residence, and
partly at Fontainebleau, returning to Paris only on special
occasions, and never remaining longer than twenty-four
hours. During his Majesty's absence, the chateau of Ram-
bouillet was restored and furnished anew, and the Emperor
spent a few days there. The first time he entered the bath-
room, he stopped short at the door and glanced around with
every appearance of surprise and dissatisfaction; and when
AT RAMBOUILLET. 51
I sought the cause of this, following the direction of his
Majesty's eyes, I saw that they rested on various family
portraits which the architect had painted on the walls of
the room. They were those of madame his mother, his
sisters, Queen Hortense, etc. ; and the sight of such a
gallery, in such a place, excited the extreme displeasure of
the Emperor. "What nonsense!" he cried. "Constant,
summon Marshal Duroc ! " And when the grand marshal
appeared, his Majesty inquired, "Who is the idiot that
could have conceived such an idea? Order the painter to
come and efface all that. He must have little respect for
women to be guilty of such an indecency."
When the court sojourned at Fontainebleau, the in-
habitants indemnified themselves amply for his Majesty's
long absences by the high price at which they sold all arti-
cles of food. Their extortions became scandalous imposi-
tions, and more than one foreigner making an excursion to
Fontainebleau thought himself held for ransom by a troop
of Bedouins. During the stay of the court, a wretched
sacking-bed in a miserable inn cost twelve francs for a
single night ; the smallest meal cost an incredible price,
and was, notwithstanding, detestable ; in fact, it amounted
to a genuine pillage of travelers. Cardinal Caprara,1 whose
rigid economy was known to all Paris, went one day to
Fontainebleau to pay his court to the Emperor, and at
the hotel where he alighted took only a single cup of bou-
illon, and the six persons of his suite partook only of a very
light repast, as the cardinal had arranged to return in three
1 Giovanni Battista Caprara. bora of a noble family at Bologna, 1733 :
count and archbishop of Milan ; cardinal, 1792 ; Negotiated the Concordat.
1801 ; died 1810. — Teaks.
52 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
hours; but notwithstanding this, as he was entering his
carriage, the landlord had the audacity to present him with
a bill for six hundred francs! The prince of the church
indignantly protested, flew into a rage, threatened, etc., but
all in vain ; and the bill was paid.
Such an outrageous imposition could not fail to reach
the Emperor's ears, and excited his anger to such a degree
that he at once ordered a fixed schedule of prices, which
it was forbidden the innkeepers to exceed. This put an
end to the exactions of the bloodsuckers of Fontainebleau.
On the 21st of August, there arrived at Paris the
Princess Catharine of Wiirtemberg, future wife of Prince
Jerome Napoleon, King of Westphalia. This princess was
about twenty-four years of age, and very beautiful, with a
most noble and gracious bearing ; and though policy alone
had made this marriage, never could love or voluntary
choice have made one that was happier.
The courageous conduct of her Majesty the Queen of
Westphalia in 1814, her devotion to her dethroned hus-
band, and her admirable letters to her father, who wished
to tear her from the arms of King Jerome, are matters of
history. I have seen it stated that this prince never ceased,
even after this marriage, which was so flattering to his am-
bition, to correspond with his first wife, Madamoiselle Pat-
terson, and that he often sent to America his valet de
chambre, Rico, to inquire after this lady and their child.
If this is true, it is no less so that these attentions to his
first wife, which were not only very excusable, but even,
according to my opinion, praiseworthy in Prince Jerome,
and of which her Majesty the Queen of Westphalia was
probably well aware, did not necessarily prevent her being
happy with her husband.
THE QUEEN OF WESTPHALIA. 53
No testimony more reliable than that of the queen her-
self can be given ; and she expresses herself as follows in
her second letter to his Majesty, the King of Wurtem-
burg: —
" Forced by policy to marry the king, my husband, fate has willed
that I should find myself the happiest woman in the universe. I feel
towards my husband the united sentiments of love, tenderness, and
esteem. In this painful moment can the best of fathers wish to
destroy my domestic happiness, the only kind which now remains to
me ? I dare to say that you, my dear father, you and all my family,
do great injustice to the king, my husband ; and I trust the time will
come when you will be convinced that you have done him injustice,
and then you will ever find in him, as well as in myself, the most
respectful and affectionate of children."
Her Majesty then spoke of a terrible misfortune to which
she had been exposed. This event, which was indeed ter-
rible, was nothing less than violence and robbery committed
on a fugitive woman defenseless and alone, by a band at
the head of which was the famous Marquis de Maubreuil,1
who had been equerry of the King of Westphalia. I will
recur in treating of the events of 1814 to tins disgraceful
affair, and will give some particulars, which I think are
not generally known, in regard to the principal authors and
participants in this daring act of brigandage.
In the following month of September, a courier from
the Russian cabinet arrived from St. Petersburg, bearing a
letter to his Majesty from the Emperor Alexander ; and
among other magnificent gifts were two very handsome
fur pelisses of black fox and sable martin.
1 A French political adventurer, born in Brittany, 1782 ; died 1855. —
Trans.
54 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
During their Majesties residence at Fontainebleau, the
Emperor often went out in his carriage with the Empress
in the streets of the city with neither escort nor guards.
One day, while passing before the hospital of Mont Pier-
reux, her Majesty the Empress saw at a window a very
aged clergyman, who saluted their Majesties. The Empress,
having returned the old man's salutation with her habitual
grace, pointed him out to the Emperor, who himself saluted
him, and ordering his coachman to stop, sent one of the
footmen with a request to the old priest to come and speak
to them a moment, if it were not too great an exertion.
The old man, who still walked with ease, hastened to de-
scend; and in order to save him a few steps the Emperor
had his carriage driven very close to the door of the hos-
pital.
His Majesty conversed for some time with the good
ecclesiastic, manifesting the greatest kindness and respect.
He informed their Majesties that he had been, previous to
the Revolution, the regular jjriest of one of the parishes of
Fontainebleau, and had done everything possible to avoid
emigrating ; but that terror had at length forced him to
leave his native land, although he was then more than sev-
enty-five years old ; that he had returned to France at the
time of the proclamation of the Concordat, and now lived
on a modest pension hardly sufficient to pay his board in
the hospital. " Monsieur TAbbe," said his Majesty after
listening to the old priest attentively, " I will order your
pension to be doubled ; and if that is not sufficient I hope
you will apply to the Empress or to me." The good eccle-
siastic thanked the Emperor with tears in his eyes. "Un-
fortunately, Sire," said he among other things, " I am too
MONSIEUR DE BELLOY. 55
old to long enjoy your Majesty's reign or profit by your
kindness." — " You ? " replied the Emperor, smiling, " why,
you are a young man. Look at M. de Belloy; he is much
your senior, and we hope to keep him with us for a long
time yet." Their Majesties then took leave of the old man,
who was much affected, leaving him in the midst of a
crowd of the inhabitants who had collected before the hos-
pital during this conversation, and who were much im-
pressed by this interesting scene and the generous kindness
of the Emperor.
M. de Belloy, cardinal and archbishop of Paris, whose
name the Emperor mentioned in the conversation I have
just related, was then ninety-eight years of age, though his
health was excellent; and I have never seen an old man
who had as venerable an air as this worthy prelate. The
Emperor had the profoundest respect for him, and never
failed to give evidence of it on every occasion. During
this same month of September, a large number of the faith-
ful having assembled according to custom on Mount Va-
lerien, the archbishop likewise repaired to the spot to hear
mass. As he wras about to withdraw, seeing that many
pious persons were awaiting Iris benediction, he addressed
them before bestowing it in a few words wrhich showed
his kindness of heart and his evangelical simplicity: "My
children, I know that I must be very old from the loss
of my strength, but not of my zeal and my tenderness for
you. Pray God, my children, for your old archbishop, who
never fails to intercede on your behalf each day."
During his stay at Fontainebleau, the Emperor enjoyed
more frequently than ever before the pleasures of the chase.
The costume necessary was a French coat of green dragon
56 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
color, decorated with buttons and gold lace, white cash-
mere breeches, and Hessian boots without facings ; this
was the costume for the grand hunt which was always a
stag hunt ; that for a hunt with guns being a plain, green
French coat with no other ornament than white buttons, on
which were cut suitable inscriptions. This costume was the
same for all persons taking part in this hunt, with no distin-
guishing marks, even for his Majesty himself.
The princesses set out for the rendezvous in a Spanish
carriage with either or four six horses, and thus followed
the chase, their costume being an elegant riding-habit, and
a hat with white or black plumes.
One of the Emperor's sisters (I do not now recall which)
never failed to follow the hunt, accompanied by many
charming ladies who were always invited to breakfast at
the rendezvous, as was always the custom on similar occa-
sions with the persons of the court. One of these ladies,
who was both beautiful and intelligent, attracted the atten-
tion of the Emperor, a short correspondence ensued, and
at last the Emperor again ordered me to carry a letter.
In the palace of Fontainebleau is a private garden called
the garden of Diana, to wliich their Majesties alone had
access. This garden is surrounded on four sides by build-
ings ; on the left was the chapel with its gloomy gallery
and Gothic architecture ; on the right the grand gallery (as
well as I can remember) ; in the middle the building which
contained their Majesties' apartments ; finally, in front of
and facing the square were broad arcades, and behind them
the buildings intended for the various persons attached to
the household of the princes or the Emperor. Madame de
B , the lady whom the Emperor had remarked, lodged
MADAME DE B 57
in an appartment situated behind these arcades on the
ground floor ; and his Majesty informed me that I would
find a window open, through which I must enter cautiously,
in the darkness, and give his note to a person who would
ask for it. This darkness was necessary, because this
window opened on the garden, and though behind the
arcades, would have been noticed had there been a light.
Not knowing the interior of these apartments, I entered
through the window, thinking I could then walk on a
level, but had a terrible fall over a high step which was in
the embrasure of the window. I heard some one scream
as I fell, and a door was suddenly closed. I had received
severe bruises on my knee, elbow, and head, and rising with
difficulty, at once began a search around the apartment,
groping in the dark ; but hearing nothing more, and fearing
to make some fresh noise which might be heard by persons
who should not know of my presence there, I decided to
return to the Emperor, and report to him my adventures.
Finding that none of my injuries were serious, the Emperor
laughed most heartily, and then added, " Oh, oh, so there is
a step ; it is well to know that. Wait till Madame B
is over her fright ; I will go to her, and you will accompany
me." At the end of an hour, the Emperor emerged with
me from the door of his cabinet which opened on the
garden. I conducted him in silence towards the window
which was still open, and assisted him to enter, and hav-
ing obtained to my cost a correct idea of the spot, directed
him how to avoid a fall.
His Majesty, having entered the chamber without acci-
dent, told me to retire. I was not without some anxiety as
I informed the Emperor ; but he replied that I was a child,
58 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
and there could be no danger. It appeared that his Majesty
succeeded better than I had done, as he did not return
until daybreak, and then jested about my awkwardness,
admitting, however, that if he had not been warned, a simi-
lar accident would have befallen him.
Although Madame de B was worthy of a genuine
attachment, her liaison with the Emperor lasted only a
short while, and was only a passing fancy. I think that
the difficulties surrounding his nocturnal visits cooled his
Majesty's ardor greatly; for the Emperor was not enough
in love to be willing to brave everything in order to see
his beautiful mistress. His Majesty informed me of the
fright which my fall had caused her, and how anxious this
amiable lady had been on my account, and how he had
reassured her ; this did not, however, prevent her sending
next day to know how I was, by a confidential person, who
told me again how interested Madame de B had been
in my accident.
Often at Fontainebleau there was a court representation,
in which the actors of the first theaters received orders to
play before their Majesties scenes selected from their various
repertoires. Mademoiselle Mars was to play the evening
of her arrival ; but at Essonne, where she was obliged to
stop a moment on account of the road being filled with
cattle going or returning from Fontainebleau, her trunk had
been stolen, a fact of which she was not aware until she
had gone some distance from the spot. Not only were her
costumes missing, but she had no other clothing except
what she wore ; and it would be at least twelve hours before
she could get from Paris what she needed. It was then
two o'clock in the afternoon, and that very evening she
MADEMOISELLE MARS. 59
must appear in the brilliant role of Celimene. Although
much disturbed by this accident, Mademoiselle Mars did
not lose her presence of mind, but visited all the shops
of the town, and in a few hours had cut and made a com-
plete costume in most excellent taste, and her loss was
entirely repaired.
60 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER V.
The Emperor's journey to Italy. — Short time for preparation. — Complete
services sent in various directions. — Bedroom furniture while on the
journey. — Constant inseparable from the Emperor. — Provision wagon in
the kitchen service. — The appointed order of the Emperor's meals while
traveling. — The Emperor's breakfast in the open air. — The former
officers of the king's kitchen in the service of the Emperor. — M. Colin
and M. Pfister. — Messieurs Soupe and Pierrugues. — Unexpected arrival
of the Emperor at Milan. — Improvised illumination. — Joy of Prince
Eugene and the Milanese. — Affection and respect of the Emperor for
the vice-queen. — Constant complimented by the vice-king. — The
Emperor at the theate : of la Scala. — Passage through Brescia and
Verona. — Appearance of Lombardy. — Constant's dread of official ha-
rangues. — Race at Vicenza. — The Emperor an early riser while travel-
ing. — Rice-field ;. — Picturesque landscapes.
In the month of November of this year I followed their
Majesties to Italy. We knew a few clays in advance that
the Emperor would make this journey; but as happened
on all other occasions, neither the day nor the hour was
fixed, until we were told on the evening of the 15th that
we would set out early on the morning of the 16th. I
passed the night like all the household of his Majesty ; for
in order to carry out the incredible perfection of comfort
with which the Emperor surrounded himself on his jour-
neys, it was necessary that everybody should be on foot as
soon as the hour of departure was known ; consequently I
passed the night arranging the service of his Majesty, while
my wife packed my own baggage, and had but just finished
when the Emperor asked for me, which meant that ten min-
utes after we would be on the road. At four o'clock in the
morning his Majesty entered his carriage.
JOURNEY TO ITALY. 61
As we never knew at what hour or in what direction
the Emperor would begin his journey, the grand marshal,
the grand equerry, and the grand chamberlain sent forward
a complete service on all the different roads which they
thought his Majesty might take. The bedroom service
comprised a valet de cliambre and a wardrobe boy. As for
me, I never left his Majesty's person, and my carriage always
followed immediately behind Ids. The conveyance belong-
ing to this service contained an iron bed with its accessories,
a dressing-case with linen, coats, etc. I know little of the
service of the stables, but that of the kitchen was orga-
nized as follows : There was a conveyance almost in the
shape of the coucous on the Place Louis XV. at Paris, with
a deep bottom and an enormous body. The bottom con-
tained wines for the Emperor's table and that of the high
officers, the ordinary wine being bought at the places where
we stopped. In the body of the wagon were the kitchen
utensils and a portable furnace, followed by a carriage
containing a steward, two cooks, and a furnace-boy. There
was besides this, a baggage-wagon full of provisions and
wine to fill up the other as it was emptied; and all these
conveyances set out a few hours in advance of the Emperor.
It was the duty of the grand marshal to designate the
place at which breakfast should be taken. We alighted
sometimes at the archbishop's, sometimes at the hotel de
ville, sometimes at the residence of the sub-prefect, or
even at that of the mayor, in the absence of any other
dignitaries. Having arrived at the designated house, the
steward gave orders for the provisions, the furnaces were
lighted, and spits turned ; and if the Emperor alighted and
partook of the repast prepared, the provisions which had
62 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
been consumed were immediately replaced as far as possible,
and the carriages filled again with poultry, pastry, etc. ;
before leaving all expenses were paid by the controller,
presents were made to the master of the house, and every-
thing which was not necessary for the service left for the
use of their servants. It sometimes happened that the
Emperor, finding that it was too soon for breakfast, or wish-
ing to make a longer journey, gave orders to pass on, and
everything was packed up again and the service continued
its route. Sometimes also the Emperor, halting in the open
field, alighted, took his seat under a tree, and ordered his
breakfast, upon which Roustan and the footmen obtained
provisions from his Majesty's carriage, which was furnished
with small cooking utensils with silver covers, holding
chickens, partridges, etc., while the other carriages furnished
their proportion. M. Pfister served the Emperor, and every
one ate a hasty morsel. Fires were lighted to heat the
coffee ; and in less than half an hour everything had disap-
peared, and the carriages rolled on in the same order as
before.
The Emperor's steward and cooks had nearly all been
trained in the household of the king and the princes.
These were Messieurs Dunau, Leonard, Rouff, and Gerard.
M. Colin was chief in command, and became steward-con-
troller after the sad affliction of M. Pfister, who became
insane during the campaign of 1809. All were capable
and zealous servants ; and, as is the case in the household
of all sovereigns, each department of the domestic affairs
had its chief. Messieurs Soupe and Pierrugues were in
charge of the wines, and the sons of these gentlemen con-
tinued to hold the same office with the Emperor.
RAPIDITY OF THE JOURNEY. 63
"We traveled with great speed as far as Mont-Cenis,
but were compelled to go more slowly after reaching this
pass, as the weather had been very bad for several days,
and the road was washed out by the rain, which still fell
in torrents. The Emperor arrived at Milan at noon on
the 22d; and, notwithstanding our delay at Mont-Cenis,
the rest of the journey had been so rapid that no one was
expecting the Emperor. The vice-king only learned of
the arrival of his step-father when he was half a league
from the town, but came in haste to meet us, escorted by
only a few persons. The Emperor gave orders to halt,
and, as soon as the door was opened, held out his hand
to Prince Eugene, saying in the most affectionate manner:
" Come, get up with us, my fine prince ; we will enter
together."
Notwithstanding the surprise which this unexpected
arrival caused, we had hardly entered the town before all
the houses were illuminated, and the beautiful palaces,
Litta, Casani, Melzi, and many others, shone with a thou-
sand lights. The magnificent cupola of the cathedral dome
was covered with garlands of colored lights ; and in the
center of the Forum-Bonaparte, the walks of which were
also illuminated, could be seen the colossal equestrian
statue of the Emperor, on both sides of which transparen-
cies had been arranged, in the shape of stars, bearing the
initials S M I and R. B}r eight o'clock all the populace
had collected around the chateau, where superb fireworks
were discharged, while spirited and warlike music was per-
formed. All the town authorities were admitted to the
Emperor's presence.
On the morning of the next day there was held at the
64 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
chateau a council of ministers, over which the Emperor
presided ; and at noon he mounted his horse to take part
in the mass celebrated by the grand chaplain of the king-
dom. The square of the cathedral was covered by an
immense crowd, through which the Emperor advanced
on horseback, accompanied by his imperial Highness, the
vice-king, and his staff. The noble countenance of Prince
Eugene expressed the great joy he felt in the presence
of his step-father, for whom he had always so much
respect and filial affection, and in hearing the incessant
acclamations of the people, which grew more vociferous
every moment.
After the Te Deum, the Emperor held a review of the
troops on the square, and immediately after set out with
the viceroy for Monza, the palace at which the queen
resided. For no woman did the Emperor manifest more
sincere regard and respect than for Princess Amelia ; but,
indeed, there has never been a more beautiful or purer
woman. It was impossible to speak of beauty or virtue
in the Emperor's presence without his giving the vice-
queen as an example. Prince Eugene was very worthy
of so accomplished a wife, and justly appreciated her
exalted character ; and I was glad to see in the coun-
tenance of the excellent prince the reflection of the
happiness he enjoyed. Amidst all the care he took to
anticipate every wish of his step-father, I was much grati-
fied that he found time to address a few words to me,
expressing the great pleasure he felt at my promotion in
the service and esteem of the Emperor. Nothing could
have been more grateful to me than these marks of remem-
brance from a prince for whom I had always retained a
IN ITALY. 65
most sincere, and, I made bold to say, most tender,
attachment.
The Emperor remained a long while with the vice-
queen, whose intelligence equaled her amiability and her
beauty, but returned to Milan to dine ; and immediately
afterwards the ladies who were received at court were pre-
sented to him. In the evening, I followed his Majesty
to the theater of la Scala. The Emperor did not remain
throughout the play, but retired early to his apartment,
and worked the greater part of the night ; which did not,
however, prevent our being on the road to Verona before
eight o'clock in the morning.
His Majesty made no stop at Brescia and Verona. I
would have been very glad to have had time on the route
to examine the curiosities of Italy ; but that was not an
easy thing to do in the Emperor's suite, as he halted only
for the purpose of reviewing troops, and preferred visiting
fortifications to ruins.
At Verona his Majesty dined, or rather supped (for it
was very late), with their Majesties, the King and Queen
of Bavaria, who arrived at almost exactly the same time
as ourselves; and very early the next day we set out for
Vicenza.
Although the season was already advanced, I found
great pleasure in the scene which awaits the traveler on
the road from Verona to Vicenza. Imagine to yourself
an immense plain, divided into innumerable fields, each
bordered with different kinds of trees with slender trunks,
— mostly elms and poplars, — which form avenues as far
as the eye can reacji. Vines twine around their trunks,
climb each tree, and droop from each limb; while other
00 RECOLLECTIONS CF NAPOLEON,
branches of these vines, loosening their hold on the tree
which serves as their support, droop clear to the ground,
and hang in graceful festoons from tree to tree. Beyond
these, lovely natural bowers could be seen far and wide,
splendid fields of wheat ; or, at least, this had been the
case on my former journey, but at this time the harvest
had been gathered for several months.
At the end of a day which I passed most delightfully
amid these fertile plains, I entered Vicenza, where the
authorities of the town, together with almost the entire
population, awaited the Emperor under a superb arch of
triumph at the entrance of the town. We were exceed-
ingly hungry ; and his Majesty himself said, that evening as
he retired, that he felt very much like sitting down to the
table when he entered Vicenza. I trembled, then, at the
idea of those long Italian addresses, which I had found
even longer than those of France, doubtless because I did
not understand a single word; but, fortunately, the magis-
istrates of Vicenza were sufficiently well-informed not to
take advantage of our position, and their speeches occupied
only a few moments.
That evening his Majesty went to the theater; and I
was so much fatigued that I would have gladly profited
by the Emperor's absence to take some repose, had not an
acquaintance invited me to accompany him to the convent
of the Servites, in order to witness the effect of the illu-
mination of the town, which I did, and was repaid by the
magnificent spectacle which met my eyes. The whole town
seemed one blaze of light. On returning to the palace
occupied by his Majesty, I learned that he had given orders
that everything should be in readiness for departure two
IN ITALY. 67
hours after midnight ; consequently I had one hour to
sleep, and I enjoyed it to the utmost.
At the appointed moment, the Emperor entered his car-
riage ; and we were soon rolling along with the rapidity
of lightning over the road to Stra, where we passed the
night. Very early next morning we set out, following a
long causeway raised through marshes. The landscape is
almost the same, and yet not so beautiful, as that we passed
before reaching Vicenza. We still saw groves of mulberry
and olive trees, from which the finest oil is obtained,
and fields of maize and hemp, interspersed with meadows.
Beyond Stra the cultivation of rice commences ; and, al-
though the rice-fields must render the country unhealthy,
still it has not the reputation of being more so than any
other. On the right and left of the road are seen elegant
houses, and cabins which, though covered with thatch, are
very comfortable, and present a charming appearance. The
vine is little cultivated in this part of the country, where
it would hardly succeed, as the land is too low and damp ;
but there are, nevertheless, a few small vineyards on the
slopes, and the vegetation in the whole country is incredi-
bly rich and luxuriant. The late wars have left traces
which only a long peace can efface.
68 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER VI.
Arrival at Fusina. — The peote and gondolas of Venice. — The appearance of
Venice. —Salutes by the Emperor. — Entrance of the Imperial cortege
on the Grand Canal. — Gardens and groves improvised by the Emperor.
— A sight new to the Venetians. — Conversation of the Emperor with
the vice-king and the grand marshal. — The Emperor speaking much,
but not conversing. — Observation of Constant on a passage in the
journal of the Baroness de V . — The Emperor's opinion of the
former government. — The lions have become old. — The Doge a French
senator. — The Emperor determines to have the name of France re-
spected.— Visit to the arsenal. — Dangerous shoals. — The tower of ob-
servation.— The workshops. — The Bucentaure. — Disappointment of a
bargeman, an old servant of the Doge. — The marriage of the Doge to the
sea interrupted by the arrival of the French. — Distress of the last Doge,
Ludovico Manini. — The gondoliers. — A boat-race and tournament on
the water in the presence of the Emperor. — A glimpse of the square of
St. Mark during that night. — Industrious habits of the Emperor at
Venice. — Visit to the church of St. Mark and the Doge's palace. — The
dike. — The clock tower. — Mechanism of the clock. — The prisons. —
Visit paid by Constant and Roustan to a Greek family. — Constant ques-
tioned by the Emperor. — Constant's curiosity disappointed. — Enthu-
siasm of a beautiful Greek for the Emperor. — Marital vigilance and
removal. — Decree of the Emperor regarding the Venetians. — Departure
from Venice, and return to France.
On his arrival at Fusina the Emperor found the Vene-
tian authorities awaiting him, embarked on the peote or
gondola of the village, and advanced towards Venice, ac-
companied by a numerous floating cortege. We followed
the Emperor in little black gondolas, which looked like
floating coffins, with which the Brenta was covered; and
nothing could be stranger than to hear, proceeding from
these coffins of such gloomy aspect, delicious vocal concerts.
The boat which carried his Majesty, and the gondolas of
IN VENICE. 69
the principal persons of his suite, were handsomely orna-
mented.
When we arrived at the mouth of the river we were
obliged to wait nearly half an hour until the locks were
opened, which was done by degrees, and with every pre-
caution; without which the waters of the Brenta, held in
their canal and raised considerably above the level ot the
sea, would have rushed out suddenly, and in their violent
descent have driven our gondolas along before them, or
sunk them. Released at last from the Brenta, we found
ourselves in the gulf, and saw at a distance, rising from the
midst of the sea, the wonderful city of Venice. Barks, gon-
dolas, and vessels of considerable size, filled with all the
wealthy population, and all the boatmen of Venice in gala
dress, appeared on every side, passing, repassing, and cross-
ing each other, in every direction, with the most remarkable
skill and speed.
The Emperor was standing at the back of the peote, and,
as each gondola passed near his own, replied to the acclama-
tions and cries of " Viva Napoleone imperatore e re ! " by
one of those profound bows which he made with so much
grace and dignity, taking off his hat without bending his
head, and carrying it along his body almost to his knees.
Escorted by tins innumerable flotilla, of which the peote
of the city seemed to be the admiral's vessel, his Majesty
entered at last the Grand Canal, which flowed between
magnificent palaces, hung with banners and filled with
spectators. The Emperor alighted before the palace of the
procurators, where he was received by a deputation of mem-
bers of the Senate and the Venetian nobility. He stopped
a moment in the square of St. Mark, passed through some
70 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
interior streets, chose the site for a garden, the plans for
which the architect of the city then presented to him, and
which were carried out as if it had been in the midst of
the country. It was a novel sight to the Venetians to see
trees planted in the open air, while hedges and lawns ap-
peared as if by magic. The entire absence of verdure and
vegetation, and the silence which reigns in the streets of
Venice, where is never heard the hoof of a horse nor the
wheels of a carriage, horses and carriages being things
entirely unknown in this truly marine city, must give it
usually a sad and abandoned air; but this gloom entirely
disappeared during his Majesty's visit.
The prince viceroy and the grand marshal were present
in the evening when the Emperor retired ; and, while un-
dressing him, I heard a part of their conversation, which
turned on the government of Venice before the union of
this republic with the French Empire. His Majesty was
almost the only spokesman, Prince Eugene and Marshal
Duroc contenting themselves with throwing a few words
into the conversation, as if to furnish a new text for the
Emperor, and prevent his pausing, and thus ending too
soon his discourse; a genuine discourse, in fact, since his
Majesty took the lead, and left the others but little to say.
Such was often his habit ; but no one thought of complain-
ing of this, so interesting were nearly always the Emperor's
ideas, and so original and brilliantly expressed. His Maj-
esty did not converse, as had been truthfully said in the
journal which I have added to my memoirs, but he spoke
with an inexpressible charm ; and on this point it seems to
me that the author of the "Journal of Aix-la-Chapelle " has
done the Emperor injustice.
IN VENICE. 71
As I said just now, his Majesty spoke of the ancient
State of Venice, and from what he said on this occasion
I learned more than I could have done from the most
interesting book. The viceroy having remarked that a
few patricians regretted their former liberty, the Emperor
exclaimed, " Liberty, what nonsense ! liberty no longer ex-
isted in Venice, and had, indeed, never existed except for a
few families of the nobility, who oppressed the rest of the
population. Liberty, with a Council of Ten ! Liberty, with
the inquisitors of state ! Liberty, with the very lions as
informers, and Venetian dungeons and bullets ! " Marshal
Duroc remarked that towards the end these severe regula-
tions were much modified. "Yes, no doubt," replied the
Emperor. " The lion of St. Mark had gotten old ; he
had no longer either teeth or nails ! Venice was only the
shadow of her former self, and her last doge found that he
rose to a higher rank in becoming a senator of the French
Empire." His Majesty, seeing that this idea made the vice-
king smile, added very gravely, " I am not jesting, gentle-
men. A Roman senator prided himself on being more than
a king; a French senator is at least the equal of a doge.
I desire that foreigners shall accustom themselves to show
the greatest respect towards the constituted authorities of
the Empire, and to treat with great consideration even the
simple title of French citizen. I will take care to insure
this. Good-night, Eugene. Duroc, take care to have
the reception to-morrow all that it should be. After the
ceremony we will visit the arsenal. Adieu, Messieurs.
Constant, come back in ten minutes to put out my light;
I feel sleepy. One is cradled like an infant on these gon-
dolas."
72 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
The next day his Majesty, after receiving the homage
of the Venetian authorities, repaired to the arsenal. This
is an immense building, fortified so carefully that it was
practically impregnable. The appearance of the interior
is singular on account of several small islands which it
incloses, joined together by bridges. The magazines and
numerous buildings of the fortress thus appear to be float-
ing on the surface of the water. The entrance on the land
side, by which we were introduced, is over a very handsome
bridge of marble, ornamented with columns and statues.
On the side next the sea, there are numerous rocks and
sandbanks, the presence of which is indicated by long piles.
It is said that in time of war these piles were taken up,
which exposed the foreign vessels, imprudent enough to
entangle themselves among these shoals, to certain destruc-
tion. The arsenal could formerly equip eighty thousand
men, both infantry and cavalry, independent of complete
armaments for war vessels.
The arsenal is bordered with raised towers, from which
the view extends in all directions. On the tallest of these
towei*s, which is placed in the center of the building, as
well as all the others, sentinels were stationed, both day
and night, to signal the arrival of vessels, which they
could see at a very great distance. Nothing can be finer
than the dockyards for building vessels, in which ten thou-
sand men can work with ease. The sails are made by
women, over whom other elderly women exercise an active
surveillance.
The Emperor delayed only a short time to look at the
Bucentaure ; which is the title of the magnificent vessel
in which the Doge of Venice was accustomed to celebrate
IN VENICE. 73
his marriage with the sea ; and a Venetian never sees with-
out deep chagrin this old monument of the former glory
of his country. I, in company with some persons of the
Emperor's suite, had as our guide an old mariner, whose
eyes filled with tears as he related to us in bad French
that the last time he witnessed the marriage of the Doge
with the Adriatic Sea was in 1796, a year before the cap-
ture of Venice. He also told us that he was at that time
in the service of the last Doge of the republic, Lord Louis
Manini, and that the following year (1797), the French
entered Venice at the exact time when the marriage of
the Doge to the sea, which took place on Ascension Day,
was usually celebrated, and ever since the sea had remained
a widow. Our good sailor paid a most touching tribute
of praise to his old master, who he said had never suc-
ceeded in forcing himself to take the oath of allegiance to
the Austrians, and had swooned away while resigning to
them the keys of the city.
The gondoliers are at the same time servants, errand
boys, confidants, and companions in adventures to the
person who takes them into his service ; and nothing can
equal the courage, fidelity, and gayety of these brave sea-
men. They expose themselves fearlessly in their slender
gondolas to tempests ; and their skill is so great that they
turn with incredible rapidity in the narrowest canals, cross
each other, follow, and pass each other incessantly, without
ever having an accident.
I found myself in a position to judge of the skill of
these hardy mariners the day after our visit to the arse-
nal. His Majesty was conducted through the lagoons as
far as the fortified gate of Mala-Mocca, and the gondoliers
74 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
gave as he returned a boat-race and tournament on the
water. On that day there was also a special representation
at the grand theater, and the whole city was illuminated.
In fact, one might think that there is a continual fete and
general illumination in Venice ; the custom being to spend
the greater part of the night in business or pleasure, and
the streets are as brilliant and as full of people as in Paris
at four o'clock in the afternoon. The shops, especially
those of the square of Saint Mark, are brilliantly lighted,
and crowds fill the small decorated pavilions where coffee,
ices, and refreshments of all kinds are sold.
The Emperor did not adopt the Venetian mode of life,
however, and retired at the same hour as in Paris ; and
when he did not pass the day working with his ministers,
rode in a gondola through the lagoons, or visited the prin-
cipal establishments and public buildings of Venice ; and
I thus saw, in company with his Majesty, the church of
Saint Mark, and the ancient palace of the Doge.
The church of Saint Mark has five entrances, superbly
decorated with marble columns ; the gates are of bronze
and beautifully carved. Above the middle door were for-
merly the four famous bronze horses, which the Emperor
carried to Paris to ornament the Arch of Triumph on
the Place du Carrousel. The tower, is separated from the
church by a small square, from the midst of which it rises
to a height of more than three hundred feet. It is as-
cended by an inclined platform without steps, which is
very convenient; and on arriving at the summit the most
magnificent panorama is spread out before you, — Venice
with its innumerable islands covered with palaces, churches,
and buildings, and extending at a distance into the sea;
IN VENICE. 75
also the immense dike, sixty feet broad, several fathoms
deep, and built of great blocks of stone, which enormous
work surrounds Venice and all its islands, and defends it
against the rising of the sea.
The Venetians have the greatest admiration for the clock
placed in the tower bearing its name, and the mechanism
of which shows the progress of the sun and moon through
the twelve signs of the zodiac. In a niche above the dial-
plate is an image of the Virgin, which is gilded and life-
size ; and it is said that on certain fete days, each blow of
the pendulum makes two angels appear, trumpet in hand,
followed by the Three Wise Men, who prostrate themselves
at the feet of the Virgin Mary. I saw nothing of all that,
but only two large black figures striking the hour on the
clock with iron clubs.
The Doge's palace is a gloomy building ; and the prisons,
which are separated from it only by a narrow canal, ren-
der the aspect still more depressing.
At Venice one finds merchants from every nation, Jews
and Greeks being very numerous. Roustan, who under-
stood the language of the latter, was sought after by the
most distinguished among them ; and the heads of a Greek
family came one day to invite him to visit them at their
residence on one of the islands which lie around Venice.
Roustan confided to me his desire to accept this invita-
tion, and I was delighted with his proposition that I should
accompany him. On our arrival at their island, we were
received by our hosts, who were very wealthy merchants,
as if we had been old friends. The apartment, a kind of
parlor into which we were ushered, not only evinced cul-
tivation and refinement, but great elegance ; a large divan
76 BECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
extended around the hall, the inlaid floor of which was
covered with artistically woven mats. Our hosts were six
men who were associated in the same trade. I would have
been somewhat embarrassed had not one of them who
spoke French conversed with me, while the others talked
to Roustau in their native tongue. We were offered coffee,
fruits, ices, and pipes ; and as I was never fond of smoking,
and knew besides the disgust inspired in the Emperor by
odors in general, and especially that of tobacco, I refused
the pipe, and expressed a fear that my clothes might be
scented by being so near the smokers. I thought I per-
ceived that this delicacy lowered me considerably in the
esteem of my hosts, notwithstanding which, as we left, they
gave us most urgent invitations to repeat our visit, which it
was impossible to do, as the Emperor soon after left Venice.
On my return, the Emperor asked me if I had been
through the city, what I thought of it, and if I had en-
tered any residences ; in fact, what seemed to me worthy
of notice. I replied as well as I could; and as his Majesty
was just then in a mood for light conversation, spoke to
him of our excursion, and visit to the Greek family. The
Emperor asked me what these Greeks thought of him.
"Sire," replied I, "the one who spoke French seemed en-
tirely devoted to your Majesty, and expressed to me the
hope which he and also Ins brothers entertained, that the
Emperor of the French, who had successfully combated
the mamelukes in Egypt, might also some day make him-
self the liberator of Greece."
" Ah, Monsieur Constant," said the Emperor to me,
pinching me sharply, "you are meddling with politics." —
"Pardon me, Sire, I only repeated what I heard, and it is
IN VENICE. 77
not astonishing that all the oppressed count on your Maj-
esty's aid. These poor Greeks seem to love their country
passionately, and, above all, detest the Turks most cor-
dially."— "That is good," said his Majesty; "but I must
first of all attend to my own business. Constant ! " con-
tinued his Majesty suddenly changing the subject of this
conversation with which he had deigned to honor me, and
smiling with an ironical air, "what do you think of the
appearance of the beautiful Greek women ? How many
models have you seen worthy of Canova or of David? " I
was obliged to admit to his Majesty that what had in-
fluenced me most in accepting Roustan's proposition was
the hope of seeing a few of these much vaunted beauties,
and that I had been cruelly disappointed in not having
seen the shadow of a woman. At this frank avowal the
Emperor, who had expected it in advance, laughed heartily,
and took his revenge on my ears, calling me a libertine :
" You do not know then, Monsieur le drdle, that your
good friends the Greeks have adopted the customs of those
Turks whom they detest so cordially, and like them seclude
their wives and daughters in order that they may never
appear before bad men like yourself."
Although the Greek ladies of Venice may be carefully
watched by their husbands, they are neither secluded nor
guarded in a seraglio like the Turkish women ; for during
our stay at Venice, a great person spoke to his Majesty
of a young and beautiful Greek, who was an enthusiastic
admirer of the Emperor of the French. Tins lady was
very ambitious of being received by his Majesty in his
private rooms, and although carefully watched by a jeal-
ous husband, had found means to send to the Emperor a
78 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
letter in which she depicted the intensity of her love and
admiration. This letter, written with real passion and in
an exalted strain, inspired in his Majesty a desire to see
and know the author, but it was necessary he should use
precautions, for the Emperor was not the man to abuse
his power to snatch a woman from her husband ; and yet
all the care that he took in keeping the affair secret did
not prevent her husband from suspecting the plans of his
wife, and before it was possible for her to see the Emperor,
she was carried away far from Venice, and her prudent
husband carefully covered her steps and concealed her
flight. When her disappearance was announced to the
Emperor: "He is an old fool," said his Majesty, laughing,
"who thinks he is strong enough to struggle against his
destiny." His Majesty formed no other liaison during
our stay at Venice.
Before leaving this city, the Emperor rendered a de-
cree which was received with inexpressible enthusiasm,
and added much to the regret which his Majesty's depar-
ture caused the inhabitants of Venice. The department
of the Adriatic, of which Venice was the chief city, was
enlarged in all its maritime coasts, from the town of Aquila
as far as Adria. The decree ordered, moreover, that the
port should be repaired, the canals deepened and cleaned,
the great wall of Palestrina of which I have spoken above,
and the jetties in front of it, extended and maintained ;
that a canal of communication between the arsenal of
Venice and the Pass of Mala-Mocco should be dug ; and
finally that this passage itself should be cleared and deep-
ened sufficiently for vessels of the line of seventy-four
tons burthen to pass in and out.
IN VENICE. 79
Other articles related to benevolent establishments, the
administration of which was given to a kind of council
called the Congregation of Charities, and the cession to the
city from the royal domain of the island of Saint Christo-
pher, to be used as a general cemetery ; for until then here,
as in the rest of Italy, they had the pernicious custom of
interring the dead in churches. Finally the decree ordered
the adoption of a new mode of lighting the beautiful
square of Saint Mark, the construction of new quays, gate-
ways, etc.
When we left Venice the Emperor was conducted to
the shore by a crowd of the population fully as numer-
ous as that which welcomed his arrival. Trevise, Undine,
and Mantua rivaled each other in their eagerness to re-
ceive his Majesty in a becoming manner. King Joseph
had left the Emperor to return to Naples ; but Prince
Murat and the vice-king accompanied his Majesty.
The Emperor stopped only two or three days at Milan,
and continued his journey. On reaching the plains of
Marengo, he found there the entire population of Alex-
andria awaiting him, and was received by the light of
thousands of torches. We passed through Turin without
stopping, and on the 30th of December again descended
Mont Cenis, and on the evening of the 1st of January
arrived at the Tuileries.
80 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER VII.
Arrival at Paris. — Representation of an opera composed by Paer. — The
theater of the Tuileries. — M. Fontaine, architect. — Criticisms of the
Emperor. — The Arch of Triumph on the Place du Carrousel criticised
by the Emperor. — A plan for joining the Tuileries to the Louvre. — Ex-
tensive buildings planned by the Emperor. — Restoration of the chateau
of Versailles. — Note of the Emperor on the subject. — Visit of the Em-
peror to David's studio. — Picture of the coronation. — The Emperor's
admiration. — M. Vien. — Improvement suggested by the Emperor. —
Anecdote related by Marshal Bessieres. — The painter David and Cardi-
nal Caprara's wig. — A long visit. — Homage rendered by the Emperor
to a great artist. — Compliments of Josephine. — The picture of the
Sabines in the hall of the Council of State.
We arrived in Paris on the 1st of January at nine
o'clock in the evening ; and as the theater of the palace of
the Tuileries was now completed, on the Sunday following
his Majesty's return the Griselda of M. Paer was presented
in this magnificent hall. Their Majesties' boxes were sit-
uated in front of the curtain, opposite each other, and pre-
sented a charming picture, with their hangings of crimson
silk draped above, and forming a background to broad,
movable mirrors, which reflected at will the audience or the
play. The Emperor, still impressed with the recollections
of the theaters of Italy, criticised unsparingly that of the
Tuileries, saying that it was inconvenient, badly planned,
and much too large for a palace theater ; but notwithstand-
ing all these criticisms, when the day of inauguration came,
and the Emperor was convinced of the very great ingenuity
M. Fontaine had shown in distributing the boxes so as to
THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN. 81
fine spectacle which this army presented, calmly re-forming
its columns in which the Russian cannon had made such
wide gaps, and proceeding to the repose of the bivouac
with the security which conquerors ever feel. The Em-
peror seemed overcome with fatigue. From time to time
he clasped his hands over his crossed knees, and I heard
him each time repeat, with a kind of convulsive movement,
"Moscow! Moscow!" He sent me several times to see
what was going on outside, then rose himself, and coming
up behind me looked out over my shoulder. The noise
made by the sentinel in presenting arms each time warned
me of his approach. After about a quarter of an hour of
these silent marches to and fro, the sentinel advanced and
cried, " To arms ! " and like a lightning flash the battalion
square was formed around the Emperor's tent. He rushed
out, and then re-entered to take his hat and sword. It
proved to be a false alarm, as a regiment of Saxons return-
ing from a raid had been mistaken for the enemy.
There was much laughter over this mistake, especially
when the raiders came in sight, some bearing quarters of
meat spitted on the ends of their bayonets, others with
half-picked fowls or hams which made the mouth water.
I was standing outside the tent, and shall never forget the
first movement of the sentinel as he gave the cry of alarm.
He lowered the stock of his gun to see if the priming was
in place, shook the barrel by striking it with his fist, then
replaced the gun on his arm, saying, " Well, let them come ;
we are ready for them." I told the occurrence to the
Emperor, who in his turn related it to Prince Berthier :
and in consequence the Emperor made this brave soldier
drink a glass of his best Chambertin wine.
82 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
It was the Duke of Dantzic who first entered Moscow,
and the Emperor came only after him. This entry was
made in the night, and never was there a more depressing
scene. There was something truly frightful in this silent
march of an army halted at intervals by messages from
inside the city, which seemed to be of a most ominous
character. No Muscovite figures could be distinguished
except those of a few beggars covered with rags, who
watched with stupid astonishment the army file past; and
as some few of these appeared to be begging alms, our
soldiers threw them bread and a few pieces of money.
I cannot prevent a sad reflection on these unfortunate crea-
tures, whose condition alone remains unchanged through
great political upheavals, and who are totally without
affection and without national sympathies.
As we advanced on the streets of the faubourgs, we
looked through the windows on each side, and were aston-
ished to perceive no human being; and if a solitary
light appeared in the windows of a few houses, it was soon
extinguished, and these signs of life so suddenly effaced
made a terrible impression. The Emperor halted at the
faubourg of Dorogomilow, and spent the night there, not
in an inn, as has been stated, but in a house so filthy and
wretched that next morning we found in the Emperor's
bed, and on his clothes, vermin which are by no means un-
common in Russia. We were tormented by them also to
our great disgust, and the Emperor did not sleep during
the whole night he passed there. According to custom, I
slept in his chamber; and notwithstanding the precaution
I had taken to burn vinegar and aloes wood, the odor was
so disagreeable that every moment the Emperor called me.
THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN. 83
" Are you asleep, Constant? " — " No, Sire." — " My son,
burn more vinegar, I cannot endure this frightful odor; it
is a torment; I cannot sleep." I did my best; but a mo-
ment after, when the fumes of the vinegar were evaporated,
he again recommended me to burn sugar or aloes wood.
It was two o'clock in the morning when he was in-
formed that a fire had broken out in the city. The news
was received through Frenchmen residing in this country,
and an officer of the Russian police confirmed the report,
and entered into details too precise for the Emperor to
doubt the fact. Nevertheless, he still persisted in not
believing it. "That is not possible. Do you believe that,
Constant? Go, and find out if it is true." And thereupon
he threw himself again on his bed, trying to rest a little ;
then he recalled me to make the same inquiries.
The Emperor passed the night in extreme agitation,
and when daylight came he knew all. He had Marshal
Mortier called, and reprimanded both him and the young
guard. Mortier in reply showed him houses covered with
iron the roofs of which were uninjured, but the Emperor
pointed out to him the black smoke which was issuing from
them, pressed his hands together, and stamped his heels on
the rough planks of his sleeping-room.
At six o'clock in the morning we were at the palace of
the Kremlin, where Napoleon occupied the apartment of the
Czars, which opened on a vast esplanade reached by a
broad stone staircase. On this same esplanade could be
seen the church in which were the tombs of the ancient
sovereigns, also the senatorial palace, the barracks, the
arsenal, and a splendid clock tower, the cross on which
towers above the whole city. This is the gilded cross of
84 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
Ivan. The Emperor threw a satisfied glance over the
beautiful scene spread out before him ; for no sign of fire
was yet seen in all the buildings which surrounded the
Kremlin. This palace is a mixture of Gothic and modern
architecture, and this mingling of the two styles gives it ;i
most singular appearance.
Within these walls lived and died the old dynasties of
the Romanoff and Ruric ; and this is the same palace which
has been so often stained with blood by the intrigues of a
ferocious court, at a period when all quarrels were settled
with the poniard. His Majesty could not obtain there
even a few hours of quiet sleep.
In fact, the Emperor, somewhat reassured by the reports
of Marshal Mortier, was dictating to the Emperor Alexan-
der words of peace, and a Russian flag of truce was about
to bear this letter, when the Emperor, who was promenad-
ing the length and breadth of his apartment, perceived from
his windows a brilliant light some distance from the palace.
It was the fire, which had burst out again fiercer than ever ;
and as the wind from the north was now driving the flames
in the direction of the Kremlin, the alarm was given by
two officers who occupied the wing of the building nearest
the fire. Wooden houses of many various colors were de-
voured in a few moments, and had already fallen in ; mag-
azines of oil, brandy, and other combustible materials, threw
out flames of a lurid hue, which were communicated with
the rapidity of lightning to other adjoining buildings. A
shower of sparks and coals fell on the roofs of the Kremlin ;
and one shudders to think that one of these sparks alone
falling on a caisson might have produced a general explo-
sion, and blown up the Kremlin ; for by an inconceivable
BURNING OF MOSCOW. 85
negligence a whole park of artillery had been placed under
the Emperor's windows.
Soon most incredible reports reached the Emperor; some
said that Russians had been seen stirring the fire them-
selves, and throwing inflammable material into the parts of
houses still unburned, while those of the Russians who did
not mingle with the incendiaries, stood with folded arms,
contemplating the disaster with an imperturbability which
cannot be described. Except for the absence of cries of
joy and clapping of hands they might have been taken for
men who witness a brilliant display of fireworks. It was
soon very evident to the Emperor that it was a concerted
plot laid by the enemy.
He descended from his apartment by the great northern
staircase made famous by the massacre of the Strelitz.
The fire had already made such enormous progress that on
this side the outside doors were half burned through, and
the horses refused to pass, reared, and it was with much
difficulty they could be made to clear the gates. The
Emperor had his gray overcoat burned in several places,
and even his hair; and a moment later Ave were walking
over burning firebrands.
We were not yet out of danger, and were obliged to
steer clear of the burning rubbish which encumbered our
path. Several outlets were tried, but unsuccessfully, as
the hot breezes from the fire struck against our faces, and
drove us back in terrible confusion. At last a postern
opening on the Moskwa was discovered, and it was through
this the Emperor with his officers and guard succeeded
in escaping from the Kremlin, but only to re-enter narrow
streets, where the fire, inclosed as in a furnace, was
86 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
increased in intensity, and uniting above our heads the
flames thus formed a burning dome, which overshad-
owed us, and hid from us the heavens. It was time
to leave this dangerous place from which one means of
egress alone was open to us, — a narrow, winding street
encumbered with debris of every kind, composed of flaming
beams fallen from the roofs, and burning posts. There
was a moment of hesitation among us, in which some
proposed to the Emperor to cover him from head to foot
with their cloaks, and transport him thus in their arms
through this dangerous passage. This proposition the
Emperor rejected, and settled the question by throwing
himself on foot into the midst of the blazing debris, where
two or three vigorous jumps put him in a place of safety.
Then ensued a touching scene between the Emperor
and the Prince of Eckmuhl, who, wounded at the Moskwa,
had himself borne back in order to attempt to save the
Emperor, or to die with him. From a distance the marshal
perceived him calmly emerging from so great a peril ; and
this good and tender friend by an immense effort hastened
to throw himself into the Emperor's arms, and his Majesty
pressed him to his heart as if to thank him for rousing
such gentle emotions at a moment when danger usually
renders men selfish and egotistical.
At length the air itself, filled with all these flaming
masses, became so heated that it could no longer be
breathed. The atmosphere itself was burning, the glass
of the windows cracked, and apartments became unten-
able. The Emperor stood for a moment immovable, his
face crimson, and great drops of perspiration rolling from
his brow, while the King of Naples, Prince Eugene, and
RETREAT FROM MOSCOW. 87
the Prince de Neuchatel begged him to quit the palace,
whose entreaties he answered only by impatient gestures.
At this instant cries came from the wing of the palace
situated farthest to the north, announcing that the walls
had fallen, and that the fire was spreading with frightful
rapidity ; and seeing at last that his position was no longer
tenable, the Emperor admitted that it was time to leave,
and repaired to the imperial chateau of Petrovskoi.
On his arrival at Petrovskoi the Emperor ordered
M. de Narbonne to inspect a palace which I think had
belonged to Catherine. This was a beautiful building, and
the apartments handsomely furnished. M. de Narbonne
returned with this information ; but almost immediately
flames burst from every side, and it was soon consumed.
Such was the fury of these wretches who were hired
to burn everything, that the boats which covered the
Moskwa laden with grain, oats, and other provisions, were
burned, and sunk beneath the waves with a horrible
crackling sound. Soldiers of the Russian police had been
seen stirring up the fire with tarred lances, and in the
ovens of some houses shells had been placed which
wounded many of our soldiers in exploding.
In the streets filthy women and hideous, drunken men
ran to the burning houses and seized flaming brands, which
they carried in every direction, and which our soldiers were
obliged repeatedly to knock out of their hands with the
hilts of their swords before they would relinquish them.
The Emperor ordered that these incendiaries when taken
in the act should be hung to posts in the public squares ;
and the populace prostrated themselves around these
gallows, kissing the feet of those executed, praying, and
88 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
signing themselves with the sign of the cross. Such fanat-
icism is almost unparalleled.
One incident of which I was a witness proves that
those hired to carry out this vast plot acted, evidently,
according to instructions given by higher authorities. A
man covered with a sheepskin, old and tattered, with
a miserable cap on his head, boldly mounted the steps
of the Kremlin. Under this filthy disguise an elegant
costume was concealed ; and when a stricter surveillance
was instituted, this bold beggar himself was suspected,
arrested, and carried before the police, where he was
questioned by the officer of the post. As he made some
resistance, thinking this proceeding somewhat arbitrary,
the sentinel put his hand on his breast to force him to
enter ; and this somewhat abrupt movement pushing aside
the sheepskin which covered him, decorations were seen,
and when his disguise was removed he was recognized as
a Russian officer. He had on his person matches which
he had been distributing to the men of the people, and
when questioned admitted that he was specially charged
to keep alive the fire of the Kremlin. Many questions
were asked, each eliciting new confessions, all of which
were made in the most indifferent manner, and he was
put in prison, and was, I think, punished as an incendiary ;
but of this I am not certain. When any of these wretches
were brought before the Emperor, he shrugged his shoulders,
and with gestures of scorn and anger ordered that they
should be removed from his sight, and the grenadiers
sometimes executed justice on them with their bayonets;
but such exasperation can be well understood in soldiers
thus driven by these base and odious measures from a
resting-place earned by the sword.
RETREAT FROM MOSCOW. 89
In Petrovskoi, a pretty residence belonging to one of
Alexander's chamberlains, a man was found concealed in
one of the apartments his Majesty was to occupy ; but
not being armed he was released, as it was concluded
that fright alone had driven him into this dwelling. The
Emperor arrived during the night at his new residence,
and waited there in intense anxiety till the fire should
be extinguished at the Kremlin, intending to return thither,
for the pleasure house of a chamberlain was no suitable
place for his Majesty. Thanks to the active and coura-
geous actions of a battalion of the guard, the Kremlin was
preserved from the flames, and the Emperor thereupon
gave the signal for departure.
In order to re-enter Moscow it was necessary to cross
the camp, or rather the several camps, of the army ; and we
wended our way over cold and miry ground, through fields
where all was devastation and ruin. This camp presented
a most singular aspect ; and I experienced feelings of bit-
ter melancholy as I saw our soldiers compelled to bivouac
at the gates of a large and beautiful cit}* of which they were
the conquerors, but the fire still more than they. The
Emperor, on appointing Marshal Mortier governor of Mos-
cow, had said to him, wi Above all, no pillage ; you will
answer for it with your head." The order was strictly-
enforced up to the moment the fire began ; but when it was
evident that the fire would devour everything, and that
it was useless to abandon to the flames what would be of
much value to the soldiers, liberty was given them to draw
largely from this great storehouse of the north.
It was at once sad and amusing to see around poor plank
sheds, the only tents our soldiers had, the most magnificent
90 BECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
furniture, silk canopies, priceless Siberian furs, and cashmere
shawls thrown pell-mell with silver dishes ; and then to see
the food served on these princely dishes, — miserable black
gruel, and pieces of horseflesh still bleeding. Good ammu-
nition-bread was worth at this time treble all these riches,
and there came a time when they had not even horseflesh.
On re-entering Moscow the wind bore to us the insuffer-
able odor of burning houses, warm ashes filled our mouths
and eyes, and frequently we drew back just in time before
great pillars which had been burned in two by the fire, and
fell noiselessly on this calcined soil. Moscow was not so
deserted as we had thought. As the first impression con-
quest produces is one of fright, all the inhabitants who
remained had concealed themselves in cellars, or in the im-
mense vaults which extend under the Kremlin ; and driven
out by the fire like wolves from their lairs, when we re-en-
tered the city nearly twenty thousand inhabitants were
wandering through the midst of the debris, a dull stupor
depicted on faces blackened with smoke, and pale with
hunger ; for they could not comprehend how having gone to
sleep under human roofs, they had risen next morning on
a plain. They were in the last extremity of want; a few
vegetables only remained in the gardens, and these were
devoured raw, while many of these unfortunate creatures
threw themselves at different times into the Moskwa, en-
deavoring to recover some of the grain cast therein by
Rostopchin's : orders ; and a large number perished in the
water in these fruitless efforts. Such was the scene of dis-
1 Count Feodor Rostopchin, born 1765; died 182fi. He denied that Mos-
cow was burnt by bis authority. He claimed that it was burnt partly by the
French, and partly by Russians without orders. — Trans.
IN MOSCOW. 91
tress through which the Emperor was obliged to pass in
order to reach the Kremlin.
The apartments which he occupied were spacious and
well lighted, but almost devoid of furniture ; but his iron
bedstead was set up there, as in all the chateaux he occupied
in his campaigns. His windows opened on the Moskwa,
and from there the fire could still be plainly seen in various
quarters of the city, reappearing on one side as soon as
extinguished on the other. His Majesty said to me one
evening with deep feeling, " These wretches will not leave
one stone upon another.'" I do not believe there was ever
in any country as many blizzards as at Moscow. The
Emperor was annoyed by their presence, and exclaimed,
" Mon Dieu ! will they follow us everywhere ? "
There were a few concerts during our stay at the
Emperor's residence in Moscow ; but Napoleon seemed much
dejected when he appeared at them, for the music of the
saloons made no impression on his harassed mind, and the
only kind that ever seemed to stir his soul was that of
the camp before and after a battle.
The day after the Emperor's arrival, Messieurs Ed
and V repaired to the Kremlin in order to interview
his Majesty, and after waiting some time without seeing
him, were expressing their mutual regret at having failed
in this expectation, when they suddenly heard a shutter
open above their heads, and, raising their eyes, recognized
the Emperor, who said, " Messieurs, who are you ? " —
"Sire, we are Frenchmen!" He requested them to mount
the stairs to the room he occupied, and there continued liis
questions. " What is the nature of the occupation which
has detained you in Moscow?" — "We are tutors in the
92 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
families of two Russian noblemen, whom the arrival of the
French troops have driven from their homes. We have
submitted to the entreaties made by them not to abandon
their property, and we are at present alone in their pal-
aces." The Emperor inquired of them if there were still
other Frenchmen at Moscow, and asked that they should
be brought to him ; and then proposed that they should
charge themselves with maintaining order, appointing as
chief, M. M , whom he decorated with a tri-colored
scarf. He recommended them to prevent the pillage of
the French soldiers in the churches, and to have the
malefactors shot, and enjoined them to use great rigor
towards the galley-slaves, whom Rostopchin had pardoned
on condition that they would set fire to the city.
A part of these Frenchmen followed our army in its
retreat, seeing that a longer stay at Moscow would be most
disagreeable to them; and those who did not follow their
example were condemned to work on the streets.
The Emperor Alexander, when informed of the meas-
ures of Rostopchin, harshly rebuked the governor, and
ordered him at once to restore to liberty these unfortunate
Frenchmen.
IN MOSCOW. 93
CHAPTER VI.
The Muscovites asking alms. — The Emperor has food and money given them.
— A day at the Kremlin. — The Emperor employs his time in munici-
pal organization. — A theater opened near the Kremlin. — The Italian
singer. — Retreat is discussed. — His Majesty prolongs his meals more
than usual. — Regulations as to French comedy. — Engagement between
Murat and Kutuzow. — The churches of the Kremlin stripped of their
ornaments. — The reviews. — The Kremlin is blown up. — The Emperor
takes the road to Smolensk. — Flocks of buzzards. — The wounded of
Oupinskoe. — Each carriage in the suit carries one. — Injustice of accu-
sations of cruelty against the Emperor. — Explosion of caissons. —
Headquarters. — Cossacks. — The Emperor is informed of the conspir-
acy of Malet. — General Savary. — Arrival at Smolensk. — The Emperor
and the commissary-general of the grand army. — The Emperor releases
the Prince of Eckmuhl. — Let us guard the safety of the Empire. — In-
defatigable activity of the Emperor. — The stragglers. — The corps of
Marshal Davoust. — His rage when he finds it dying of hunger. — Mar-
shal Ney is found. — Speech of Napoleon. — Prince Eugene weeps for
joy. — Marshal Lefebvre.
We re-entered the Kremlin the morning of the 18th of
September. The palace and the hospital for foundlings
were almost the only buildings remaining uninjured. On
the route our carriages were surrounded by a crowd of
miserable Muscovites begging alms. They followed us as
far as the palace, walking through hot ashes, or over the
heated stones, which crumbled beneath their feet. The
poorest were barefoot; and it was a heart-rending sight
to see these creatures, as their feet touched the burning
debris, give vent to their sufferings by screams and ges-
tures of despair. As the only unencumbered part of the
street was occupied by our carriages, this swarm threw
94 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
themselves pell-mell against the wheels or under the feet
of our horses. Our progress was consequently very slow,
and we had so much the longer under our eyes this pic-
ture of the greatest of all miseries, that of a people burned
out of their homes, and without food or the means to pro-
cure it. The Emperor had food and money given them.
When we were again established at the Kremlin, and
had resumed our regular routine of living, a few days
passed in perfect tranquillity. The Emperor appeared less
sad, and in consequence those surrounding him became
somewhat more cheerful. It seemed as if we had returned
from the campaign, and taken up again the customary occu-
pations of city life ; but if the Emperor sometimes indulged
in this illusion, it was soon dispelled by the sight Moscow
presented as seen from the windows of his apartments, and
each time Napoleon's eyes turned in that direction it was
evident that he was oppressed by the saddest presenti-
ments, although he no longer manifested the same vehement
impatience as on his first stay at the palace, when he saw
the flames surrounding him and driving him from his apart-
ments. But he exhibited the depressing calm of a care-
worn man who cannot foresee how things will result. The
days were long at the Kremlin while the Emperor awaited
Alexander's reply, which never came. At this time I
noticed that the Emperor kept constantly on his table
Voltaire's history of Charles XII.
The Emperor was a prey to his genius for administra-
tion, even in the midst of the ruins of this great city ; and
in order to divert his mind from the anxiety caused by
outside affairs, occupied himself with municipal organiza-
tion, and had already arranged that Moscow should be
stocked with provisions for the winter.
IN MOSCOW. 95
A theater was erected near the Kremlin, but the Empe-
ror never attended. The troupe was composed of a few
unfortunate French actors, who had remained in Moscow in
a state of utter destitution ; but his Majesty encouraged this
enterprise in the hope that theatrical representations would
offer some diversion to both officers and soldiers. It was
said that the first actors of Paris had been ordered to Mos-
cow, but of that I know nothing positively. There was
at Moscow a celebrated Italian singer whom the Emperor
heard several times, but only in his apartments, and he did
not form part of the regular troupe.
Until the 18th of October the time was spent in dis-
cussions, more or less heated, between the Emperor and his
generals, as to the best course to be pursued. Every one
well knew that retreat had now become inevitable, and the
Emperor was well aware of this fact himself ; but it was
plainly evident that it cost his pride a terrible struggle
to speak the decisive word. The last days preceding the
18th were the saddest I have ever known. In his ordinary
intercourse with his friends and counselors his Majesty
manifested much coldness of manner ; he became taciturn,
and entire hours passed without any one present having
the courage to begin a conversation. The Emperor, who
was generally so hurried at his meals, prolonged them
most surprisingly. Sometimes during the day he threw
himself on a sofa, a romance in his hand which he simply
pretended to read, and seemed absorbed in deep revery.
Verses were sent to him from Paris which he read aloud,
expressing his opinion in a brief and trenchant style ; he
spent three days writing regulations for the French comedy
at Paris. It is difficult to understand this attention to
96 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
such frivolous details when the future was so ominous. It
was generally believed, and probably not without reason,
that the Emperor acted thus from motives of deep policy,
and that these regulations for the French comedy at this
time, when no bulletin had yet arrived to give informa-
tion of the disastrous position of the French army, were
written with the object of making an impression on the
inhabitants of Paris, who would not fail to say, " All can-
not be going so badly, since the Emperor has time to
occupy himself with the theater."
The news received on the 18th put an end to all uncer-
tainty. The Emperor was reviewing, in the first court of
the Kremlin palace, the divisions of Ney, distributing the
cross to the bravest among them, and addressing encoura-
ging words to all, when an aide-de-camp, young Beranger,
brought the news that a sharp engagement had taken place
at Winkowo between Murat and Kutusoff, and that the
vanguard of Murat had been overwhelmed and our position
taken. Russia's intention to resume hostilities was now
plainly evident, and in the first excitement of the news the
Emperor's astonishment was at its height. There was, on
the contrary, among the soldiers of Marshal Ney an electric
movement of enthusiasm and anger which was very gratify-
ing to his Majesty. Charmed to see how the shame of a
defeat, even when sustained without dishonor, excited the
pride and aroused a desire to retrieve it in these impas-
sioned souls, the Emperor pressed the hand of the colonel
nearest to him, continued the review, and ordered that
evening a concentration of all the corps ; and before night
the whole army was in motion towards Woronowo.
A few days before quitting Moscow, the Emperor hud
T BORDEAUX. 97
CHAPTER IX.
Journey of the Emperor and Empress. — Stay at Bordeaux and Bayonne. —
Arrival of Don Carlos, the Infant of Spain. — Sickness of the child and
the Emperor's attentions. — The chateau of Marrac. — The dance of the
Basques. — Basque costumes. — Letter addressed to the Emperor by the
Prince of the Asturias. — The Emperor's surprise. — Cortege sent by the
Emperor to meet the prince. — Entrance of the prince into Bayonne. —
The prince dissatisfied with his lodgings. — Interview between the prince
and the Emperor. — The princes and grandees of Spain dine with Napo-
leon.— Harshness of Napoleon towards Prince Ferdinand. — Arrival of
the Empress at Marrac. — Arrival of the King and Queen of Spain at
Bayonne. — Anecdote of bad augury related to the Prince of the Asturias.
— French service of honor used by their Spanish majesties. — Ceremony
of kissing the hand. — The Prince of the Asturias coldly welcomed by his
father the king. — Arrival of the Prince de la Paix. — Interview between
the Emperor and the King of Spain. — Grief of this monarch. — Cruelty
shown to Don Manual Godo'i in his prison. — Equipage of the King and
Queen of Spain. — Description and habits of the king. — Description of
the queen. — Lessons in French toilet. — Taciturnity of the Prince of the
Asturias (King Ferdinand VII.). — Affection of the king for Godo'i. — The
princes of Spain at Fontainebleau and Valencay. — The King of Spain's
fondness for private life. — Fondness of Charles IV. for clock-work. —
The confessor whistled for. — Charles IV. in his old age takes lessons
on the violin. — Alexander Boucher. — Etiquette and the royal duet. —
Arrival at Bayonne of Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain. — Joseph com-
plimented by the deputies of the Junta. — M. de Cevallos and the Duke
of Infantado at the court of the new king.
Aftee remaining about a week at the chateau of Saint-
Cloud, his Majesty set out, on the 2d of April, at 11 o'clock
in the morning, to visit the departments of the South ; and
as this journey was to begin at Bordeaux, the Emperor
requested the Empress to meet him there. This publicly
announced intention was simply a pretext, in order, to mis-
98 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
lead the curious, for we knew that we were going to the
frontier of Spain.
The Emperor remained barely ten days there, and then
left for Bayonne alone, leaving the Empress at Bordeaux,
and reaching Bayonne on the night of the 14-15th of
April, where her Majesty the Empress rejoined him two or
three days afterwards.
The Prince of Neuchatel and the grand marshal lodged
at the chateau of Marrac, the rest of their Majesties' suite
lodged at Bayonne and its suburbs, the guard camped in
front of the chateau on a place called the Parterre, and
in three days all were comfortably located.
On the morning of the 15th of April, the Emperor had
hardly recovered from the fatigue of his journey, when
he received the authorities of Bayonne, who came to con-
gratulate him, and questioned them, as was his custom,
most pointedly. His Majesty then set out to visit the fort
and fortifications, which occupied him till the evening, when
he returned to the Government palace, which he occupied
temporarily while waiting till the chateau of Marrac should
be ready to receive him.
On his return to the palace the Emperor expected to
find the Infant Don Carlos, whom his brother Ferdinand,
the Prince of the Asturias, had sent to Bayonne to present
his compliments to the Emperor ; but he was informed that
the Infant was ill, and would not be able to come. The
Emperor immediately gave orders to send one of his phy-
sicians to attend upon him, with a valet de chambre and
several other persons ; for the prince had come to Bayonne
without attendants, and incognito, attended only by a mili-
tary service composed of a few soldiers of the garrison.
AT BATON NE. 99
The Emperor a*so ordered that this service should be re-
placed by one more suitable, consisting of the Guard of
Honor of Bayonne, and sent two or three times each day
to inquire the condition of the Infant, who it was freely
admitted in the palace was very ill.
On leaving the Government palace to take up his abode
at Marrac, the Emperor gave all necessary orders that it
should be in readiness to receive the King and Queen of
Spain, who were expected at Bayonne the last of the month ;
and expressly recommended that eveiything should be done
to render to the sovereigns of Spain all the honors due
their position. Just as the Emperor entered the chateau
the sound of music was heard, and the grand marshal entered
to inform his Majesty that a large company of the inhabi-
tants in the costume of the country were assembled before
the gate of the chateau. The Emperor immediately went to
the window ; and, at sight of him, seventeen persons (seven
men and ten women) began with inimitable grace a dance
called la pamperruque, in which the women kept time on
tambourines, and the men with castanets, to an orchestra
composed of flutes and guitars. I went out of the castle to
view this scene more closely. The women wore short skirts
of blue silk, and pink stockings likewise embroidered in
silver ; their hair was tied with ribbons, and they wore very-
broad black bracelets, that set off to advantage the dazzling
whiteness of their bare arms. The men wore tight-fitting
white breeches, with silk stockings and large epaulettes, a
loose vest of very fine woolen cloth ornamented with gold,
and their hair caught up in a net like the Spaniards'.
His Majesty took great pleasure in witnessing this
dance, which is peculiar to the country and very ancient.
100 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
which the custom of the country has consecrated as a means
of rendering homage to great personages. The Emperor
remained at the window until the pamperruque was fin-
ished, and then sent to compliment the dancers on their
skill, and to express his thanks to the inhabitants assembled
in crowds at the gate.
His Majesty a few days afterward received from his
Royal Highness, the Prince of the Asturias, a letter, in
which he announced that he intended setting out from Irun,
where he then was, at an early day, in order to have the
pleasure of making the acquaintance of his brother (it was
thus Prince Ferdinand called the Emperor) ; a pleasure
which he had long desired, and which he would at last
enjoy if his good brother would allow him. This letter was
brought to the Emperor by one of the aides-de-camp of the
prince, who had accompanied him from Madrid, and pre-
ceded him to Bayonne by only ten days. His Majesty
could hardly believe what he read and heard ; and I, with
several other persons, heard him exclaim, " What, he is
coming here ? but you must be mistaken ; he must be
deceiving us ; that cannot be possible ! " And I can certify
that, in these words, the Emperor manifested no pleasure at
the announcement.
It was necessary, however, to make preparations to re-
ceive the prince, since he was certainly coming; conse-
quently the Prince of Neuchatel, the Duke of Frioul, and a
chamberlain of honor, were selected by his Majesty. And
the guard of honor received orders to accompany these gen-
tlemen, and meet the Prince of Spain just outside the town
of Bayonne ; the rank which the Emperor recognized in
Ferdinand not rendering it proper that the escort should go
THE PRINCE OF THE ASTUBIAS. 101
as far as the frontier of the two empires. The Prince made
his entrance into Bayonne at noon, on the 20th of April.
Lodgings which wTould have been considered very inferior
in Paris, but which were elegant in Bayonne, had been pre-
pared for him and his brother, the Infant Don Carlos, who
was already installed there. Prince Ferdinand made a
grimace on entering, but did not dare to complain aloud;
and certainly it would have been most improper for him to
have done so, since it was not the Emperor's fault that
Bayonne possessed only one palace, which was at this time
reserved for the king, and, besides, this house, the hand-
somest in the town, was large and perfectly new. Don
Pedro de Cevallos, who accompanied the prince, thought it
horrible, and unfit for a royal personage. It was the resi-
dence of the commissariat. An hour after Ferdinand's
arrival, the Emperor visited him. He was awaiting the
Emperor at the door, and held out his arms on his approach ;
they embraced, and ascended to his apartments, where they
remained about half an hour, and when they separated the
prince wore a somewhat anxious air. His Majesty on his
return charged the grand marshal to convey to the prince
and his brother, Don Carlos, the Duke of San-Carlos, the
Duke of Infantado, Don Pedro de Cevallos, and two or
three other persons of the suite, an invitation to dine with
him ; and the Emperor's carriages were sent for these illus-
trious guests at the appointed hour, and they were conveyed
to the chateau. His Majesty descended to the foot of the
staircase to receive the prince ; but this was the limit of his
deference, for not once during dinner did he give Prince
Ferdinand, who was a king at Madrid, the title of your
majesty, nor even that of highness ; nor did he accompany
102 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
him on his departure any farther than the first door of the
saloon ; and he afterwards informed him, by a message, that
he would have no other rank than that of Prince of the
Asturias until the arrival of his father, King Charles.
Orders were given at the same time to place on duty
at the house of the princes, the Bayonnaise guard of
honor, with the Imperial Guard in addition to a detach-
ment of picked police.
On the 27th of April the Empress arrived from Bor-
deaux at seven o'clock in the evening, having made no
stay at Bayonne, where her arrival excited little enthusi-
asm, as they were perhaps displeased that she did not
stop there. His Majesty received her with much tender-
ness, and showed much solicitude as to the fatigue she
must have experienced, since the roads were so rough,
and badly washed by the rains. In the evening the town
and chateau were illuminated.
Three days after, on the 30th, the King and Queen of
Spain arrived at Bayonne ; and it is impossible to describe
the homage which the Emperor paid them. The Duke
Charles de Plaisance 1 went as far as Irun, and the Prince
de Neuchatel even to the banks of the Bidassoa, in order
to pay marked respect to their Catholic Majesties on the
part of their powerful friend ; and the king and queen ap-
peared to appreciate highly these marks of consideration.
A detachment of picked troops, superbly uniformed, awaited
them on the frontier, and served as their escort; the garri-
son of Bayonne was put under arms, all the buildings of
1 Eldest son of the former third consul, Lehrun. Born in Paris, 1775 ;
aide-de-camp to Desaix at Marengo, aide-de-camp to the Emperor at this
time; senator 1852; died 1859. — Trans.
THE KINO AND QUEEN OF SPAIN. 103
the port were decorated, all the bells rang, and the bat-
teries of both the citadel and the port saluted with great
salvos. The Prince of the Asturias and his brother, hear-
ing of the arrival of the king and queen, had left Bayonne
in order to meet their parents, when they encountered, a
short distance from the town, two or three grenadiers who
had just left Vittoria, and related to them the following
occurrence : —
When their Spanish Majesties entered Vittoria, they
found that a detachment of the Spanish body guards, who
had accompanied the Prince of the Asturias and were
stationed in this town, had taken possession of the palace
which the king and queen were to occupy as they passed
through, and on the arrival of their Majesties had put
themselves under arms. As soon as the king perceived
this, he said to them in a severe tone, " You will under-
stand why I ask you to quit my palace. You have failed
in your duty at Aranjuez. I have no need of j-our ser-
vices, and I do not wish them. Go ! " These words,
pronounced with an energy far from habitual to Charles
IV., met with no reply. The detachment of the guards
retired ; and the king begged General Verdier to give him
a French guard, much grieved, he said, that he had not
retained his brave riflemen, whose colonel he still kept
near him as captain of the guards.
This news could not give the Prince of the Asturias
a high opinion of the welcome his father had in store for
him ; and indeed he was very coolly received, as I shall
now relate.
The King and Queen of Spain, on alighting at the gov-
ernmental palace, found awaiting them the grand marshal,
104 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
the Duke de Frioul, who escorted them to their apartments,
and presented to them General Count Reille,1 the Empe-
ror's aide-de-camp, performing the duties of governor of the
palace ; M. d'Audenarde, equerry, with M. Dumanoir and
M. de Baral, chamberlains charged with the service of
honor near their Majesties.
The grandees of Spain whom their Majesties found at
Bayonne were the same who had followed the Prince of
the Asturias, and the sight of them, as may well be ima-
gined, was not pleasant to the king ; and when the ceremony
of the kissing of the hand took place, every one perceived
the painful agitation of the unfortunate sovereigns. This
ceremony, which consists of falling on your knees and
kissing the hand of the king and queen, was performed in
the deepest silence, as their Majesties spoke to no one but
the Count of Fuentes, who by chance was at Bayonne.
The king hurried over this ceremony, which fatigued
him greatly, and retired with the queen into his apart-
ments, where the Prince of the Asturias wished to follow
them ; but his father stopped him at the door, and raising
his arm as if to repulse him, said in a trembling tone,
" Prince, do you wish still to insult my gray hairs ? "
These words had, it is said, the effect of a thunderbolt on
the prince. He was overcome by his feelings for a mo-
ment, and withdrew without uttering a word.
Very different was the reception their Majesties gave to
the Prince de la Paix2 when he joined them at Bayonne,
and he might have been taken for the nearest and dearest
1 Afterwards distinguished in the Spanish war, and commanding the
army of Portugal, 1812 ; born 1775; created marshal, 1847 ; died 1860. — Trans.
2 Manuel Godo'i, horn at Badajos, 1767. A common soldier, he became
the queen's lover, and the virtual ruler of Spain ; died in Paris, 1851. — Trans.
THE PRINCE BE LA PAIX. 105
relative of their Majesties. All three wept freely on meet-
ing again ; at least, this is what I was told by a person in
the service — the same, in fact, who gave me all the pre-
ceding details.
At five o'clock his Majesty the Emperor came to visit
the King and Queen of Spain ; and during this interview,
which was very long, the two sovereigns informed his
Majesty of the insults they had received, and the dangers
they had encountered during the past month. They com-
plained greatly of the ingratitude of so many men whom
they had overwhelmed with kindness, and above all of
the guard which had so basely betrayed them. " Your
Majesty," said the king, " does not know what it is to be
forced to commiserate yourself on account of your son.
May Heaven forbid that such a misfortune should ever
come to you! Mine is the cause of all that we have
suffered."
The Prince de la Paix had come to Bayonne accom-
panied by Colonel Martes, aide-de-camp of Prince Murat,
and a valet de chambre, the only servant who had remained
faithful to him. I had occasion to talk with this devoted
servant, who spoke very good French, having been reared
near Toulouse ; and he told me that he had not succeeded
in obtaining permission to remain with his master during
his captivity, and that this unfortunate prince had suffered
indescribable torments ; that not a day passed without
some one entering his dungeon to tell him to prepare for
death, as he was to be executed that very evening or the
next morning. He also told me that the prisoners were
left sometimes for thirty hours without food; that he had
only a bed of straw, no linen, no books, and no cominunica-
106 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
tion with the outside world; and that when he came out
of his dungeon to be sent to Colonel Martes, he presented
a horrible appearance, with his long beard, and emaciated
frame, the result of mental distress and insufficient food,
He had worn the same shirt for a month, as he had nevei
been able to prevail on his captors to give him others ; and
his eyes had been so long unaccustomed to the light that
he was obliged to close them, and felt oppressed in the
open air.
On the road from Bayonne, there was handed to the
prince a letter from the king and queen which was stained
with tears. The prince said to his valet de chambre after
reading it, " These are the first consoling words I have
received in a month, for every one has abandoned me
except my excellent masters. The body guards, who have
betrayed and sold their king, will also betray and sell
his son; and as for myself, I hope for nothing, except to
be permitted to find an asylum in France for my chil-
dren and myself." M. Martes having shown him news-
papers in which it was stated that the prince possessed
a fortune of five hundred million, he exclaimed vehemently
that it was an atrocious calumny, and he defied his most
cruel enemies to prove that.
As we have seen, their Majesties had not a numer-
ous suite ; but they were, notwithstanding, followed by
baggage-wagons filled with furniture, goods, and valuable
articles, and though their carriages were old-fashioned,
they found them very comfortable — especially the king,
who was much embarrassed the day after his arrival at
Bayonne, when, having been invited to dine with the Em-
peror, it was necessary to enter a modern carriage with
THE KING AND QUEEN OF SPAIN. 107
two steps. He did not dare to put his foot on the frail
things, which he feared would break under his weight ;
and the oscillating movement of the body of the carriage
made him terribly afraid that it would upset.
At the table I had an opportunity of observing at my
leisure the king and queen. The king was of medium
height, and though not strictly handsome had a pleasant
face. His nose was very long, his voice high-pitched and
disagreeable ; and he walked Avith a mincing air in which
there was no majesty, but this, however, I attributed to the
gout. He ate heartily of everything offered him, except
vegetables, which he never ate, saying that grass was good
only for cattle ; and drank only water, having it served in
two carafes, one containing ice, and poured from both at
the same time. The Emperor gave orders that special
attention should be paid to the dinner, knowing that the
king was somewhat of an epicure. He praised in high
terms the French cooking, which he seemed to find much
to his taste ; for as each dish was served him, he would
say, " Louise, take some of that, it is good ;" which greatly
amused the Emperor, whose abstemiousness is well known.
The queen was fat and short, dressed very badly, and
had no style or grace ; her complexion was very florid,
and her expression harsh and severe. She held her head
high, spoke very loud, in tones still more brusque and pier-
cing than those of her husband ; but it is generally conceded
that she had more character and better maimers than he.
Before dinner that day there was some conversation
on the subject of dress ; and the Empress offered the ser-
vices of M. Duplan, her hairdresser, in order to give her
ladies some lessons in the French toilet. Her proposition
108 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
was accepted; and the queen came out soon after from
the hands of M. Duplan, better dressed, no doubt, and her
hair better arranged, but not beautified, however, fo^ the
talent of the hairdresser could not go as far as that.
The Prince of the Asturias, now King Ferdinand VII.,
made an unpleasant impression on all, with his heavy step
and careworn air, and rarely ever speaking.
Their Spanish Majesties as before brought with them
the Prince de la Paix, who had not been invited by the Em-
peror, and whom for this reason the usher on duty detained
outside of the dining-hall. But as they were about to be
seated, the king perceived that the prince was absent.
"And Manuel," said he quickly to the Emperor, "and
Manuel, Sire!" Whereupon the Emperor, smiling, gave
the signal, and Don Manuel Godo'i was introduced. I was
told that he had been a veiy handsome man ; but he showed
no signs of this, which was perhaps owing to the bad treat-
ment he had undergone.
After the abdication of the princes, the king and queen,
the Queen of Etruria, and the Infant Don Franciso, left
Bayonne for Fontainebleau, which place the Emperor had
selected as their residence while waiting until the chateau
of Compiegne should be put in a condition to make them
comfortable. The Prince of the Asturias left the same
day, with his brother Don Carlos and his uncle Don Anto-
nio, for the estates of Valencay belonging to the Prince of
Benevento. They published, while passing through Bor-
deaux, a proclamation to the Spanish people, in which
they confirmed the transmission of all their rights to the
Emperor Napoleon.
Thus King Charles, freed from a tin-one which he had
THE KING OF SPAIN. 109
always regarded as a heavy burden, could hereafter give
himself up unreservedly in retirement to his favorite pur-
suits. In all the world he cared only for the Prince de la
Paix, confessors, watches, and music ; and the throne was
nothing to him. After what had passed, the Prince de
la Paix could not return to Spain ; and the king would
never have consented to be separated from him, even if
the remembrance of the insults which he had personally
received had not been powerful enough to disgust him
with his kingdom. He much preferred the life of a pri-
vate individual, and could not be happier than when
allowed without interruption to indulge his simple and
tranquil tastes. On his arrival at the chateau of Fon-
tainebleau, he found there M. Remusat, the first chamber-
lain ; M. de Caqueray, officer of the hunt ; M. de Lucay,
prefect of the palace ; and a household already installed.
Mesdames de la Rochefoucault, Duchatel, and de Lucay
had been selected by the Emperor for the service of honor
near the queen.
The King of Spain remained at Fontainebleau only
until the chateau of Compiegne could be repaired, and as
he soon found the climate of this part of France too cold
for his health, went, at the end of a few months, to Mar-
seilles with the Queen of Etruria, the Infant Don Fran-
cisco, and the Prince de la Paix. In 1811 he left France
for Italy, finding his health still bad at Marseilles, and
chose Rome as his residence.
I spoke above of the fondness of the King of Spain for
watches. I have been told that while at Fontainebleau, he
had half a dozen of his watches worn by his valet de eham-
bre, and wore as many himself, giving as a reason that
110 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
pocket watches lose time by not being carried. I have
also heard that he kept his confessor always near him, in
the antechamber, or in the room in front of that in which
he worked, and that when he wished to speak to him he
whistled, exactly as one would whistle for a dog. The con-
fessor never failed to respond promptly to this royal call,
and followed his penitent into the embrasure of a window,
in which improvised confessional the king divulged what
he had on his conscience, received absolution, and sent
back the priest until he felt himself obliged to whistle for
him again.
When the health of the king, enfeebled by age and
gout, no longer allowed him to devote himself to the
pleasures of the chase, he began playing on the violin
more than ever before, in order, he said, to perfect himself
in it. This was beginning rather late. As is well known,
he had for Ins first violin teacher the celebrated Alexander
Boucher,1 with whom he greatly enjoyed playing ; but he
had a mania for beginning first without paying any atten-
tion to the measure ; and if M. Boucher made any observa-
tion in regard to this, his Majesty would reply with the
greatest coolness, " Monsieur, it seems to me that it is
not my place to wait for you."
Between the departure of the royal family and the
arrival of Joseph, King of Naples, the time was passed in
reviews and military fetes, which the Emperor frequently
honored with his presence. The 7th of June, King Joseph
arrived at Bayonne, where it had been known long in ad-
vance that his brother had summoned him to exchange
his crown of Naples for that of Spain.
1 Born in Paris, 1770, and a famous violinist ; died 1861. — Trans.
JOSEPH, KING OF SPAIN. Ill
The evening of Joseph's arrival, the Emperor invited
the members of the Spanish Junta, who for fifteen days
had been arriving at Bayonne from all corners of the king-
dom, to assemble at the chateau of Marrac, and congratulate
the new king. The deputies accepted this somewhat sud-
den invitation without having time to concert together pre-
viously any course of action ; and on their arrival at Marrac,
the Emperor presented to them their sovereign, whom they
acknowledged, with the exception of some opposition on
the part of the Duke of Infantado,1 in the name of the
grandees of Spain. The deputations from the Council
of Castile, from the Inquisition, and from the army, etc.,
submitted most readily. A few days after, the king
formed his ministry, in which all were astonished to find
M. de Cevallos,2 who had accompanied the Prince of the
Asturias to Bayonne, and had made such a parade of un-
dying attachment to the person of the one whom he called
his unfortunate master ; while the Duke of Infantado, who
had opposed to the utmost any recognition of the foreign
monarch, was appointed Captain of the Guard. The king
then left for Madrid, after appointing the Grand Duke of
Berg lieutenant-general of the kingdom.
1 Born 1733; defeated while commanding an army against the French,
1809; Prime minister, 1825 ; died 1841. — Trans.
2 Pedro de Cevallos, horn at Santander, 1764 ; minister for foreign affairs
under Charles IV. ; died 1838. — Trans.
112 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER X.
Death of M. de Belloy, Archbishop of Paris. — Life of a century, and still too
short. — Anecdote concerning the Archbishop of Genoa. — The hangman's
child. — The Grand Duke of Berg returns from Spain. — Departure from
Marrac. — Snuff-boxes given away by the Emperor. — The room of the
First Bourbon. — Souvenir of Egypt. — The pyramid and the mamelukes.
— The balladeurs. — The Emperor's visit to the Grand Duke of Berg. —
Useless preparations. — The oldest soldier in France. — The Centena-
rian.— The Emperor's deference for old age. — The soldier of Egypt. —
Arrival at Saint-Cloud. — The fifteenth of August. — The Emperor eager
for praise. — The Emperor's ill-humor. — Napoleon and the god Mars.—
The Persian ambassador. — Solemn audience. — Elegance and generosity
of Asker-Khan. — The swords of Tamerlane and Kouli-Khan. — Persian
gallantry. — Asker-Khan's love of science and the arts. — The long price,
and the short price. — Calico preferred to cashmere. — Eastern amuse-
ments.— The arms of the sufi, and the Emperor's cipher. — Asker-
Khan in the Imperial library. — The Koran. — Portrait of the sufi. —
The Grand Order of the Sun given to the Prince de Be'nevent. — Fall of
Asker-Khan at the Empress's concert. — M. de Barbe-Marbois a physician
against his will.
At this time it was learned at Bayonne that M. de
Belloy, Archbishop of Paris, had just died of a cold, con-
tracted at the age of more than ninety-eight years. The
day after this sad news arrived, the Emperor, who was sin-
cerely grieved, was dilating upon the great and good quali-
ties of this venerable prelate, and said that having one day
thoughtlessly remarked to M. de Belloy, then already more
than ninety-six years old, that he would live a century,
the good old archbishop had exclaimed, smiling, " Why,
does your Majesty think that I have no more than four
years to live ? "
M. BE BELLOY. 113
I remember that one of the persons who was present at
the Emperor's levee related the following anecdote concern-
ing M. de Belloy, which seemed to excite the Emperor's re-
spect and admiration.
The wife of the hangman of Genoa gave birth to a
daughter, who could not be baptized because no one would
act as godfather. In vain the father begged and entreated
the few persons whom he knew, in vain he even offered
money; that was an impossibility. The poor child had
consequently remained unbaptized four or five months,
though fortunately her health gave no cause for uneasiness.
At last some one mentioned this singular condition of
affaire to the archbishop, who listened to the story with
much interest, inquired why he had not been informed
earlier, and having given orders that the child should be
instantly brought to him, baptized her in his palace, and
was himself her godfather.
At the beginning of July the Grand Duke of Berg re-
turned from Spain, fatigued, ill, and out of humor. He
remained there only two or three days, and held each day
an interview with his Majesty, who seemed little better
satisfied with the grand duke than the grand duke was
with him, and left afterwards for the springs of Bareges.
Their Majesties, the Emperor and Empress, left the
chateau of Marrac the 20th of July, at six o'clock in the
evening. This journey of the Emperor was one of those
which cost the largest number of snuff-boxes set in dia-
monds, for his Majesty was not economical with them.
Their Majesties arrived at Pau on the 22d, at ten
o'clock in the morning, and alighted at the chateau of
Gelos, situated about a quarter of a league from the birth-
114 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
place of the good Henry IV., on the bank of the river..
The day was spent in receptions and horseback excursions,
on one of which the Emperor visited the chateau in which
the first king of the house of Bourbon was reared, and
showed how much this visit interested him, by prolong-
ing it until the dinner-hour.
On the border of the department of the Hautes-P3^renees,
and exactly in the most desolate and miserable part, was
erected an arch of triumph, which seemed a miracle fallen
from heaven in the midst of those plains uncultivated and
burned up by the sun. A guard of honor awaited their
Majesties, ranged around this rural monument, at their head
an old marshal of the camp, M. de Noe, more than eighty
years of age. This worthy old soldier immediately took
his place by the side of the carriage, and as cavalry escort
remained on horseback for a day and two nights without
showing the least fatigue.
As we continued our journey, we saw, on the plateau of
a small mountain, a stone pyramid forty or fifty feet high,
its four sides covered with inscriptions to the praise of their
Majesties. About thirty children dressed as mamelukes
seemed to guard this monument, which recalled to the
Emperor glorious memories. The moment their Majesties
appeared, balladeurs, or dancers, of the country emerged
from a neighboring wood, dressed in the most picturesque
costumes, bearing banners of different colors, and repro-
ducing with remarkable agility and vigor the traditional
dance of the mountaineers of the south.
Near the town of Tarbes was a sham mountain planted
with firs, which opened to let the cortege pass through, sur-
mounted by an imperial eagle suspended in the air, and
AT TARBES. 115
holding a banner on which was inscribed — "He will open
our Pyrenees.''''
On his arrival at Tarbes, the Emperor immediately
mounted his horse to pay a visit to the Grand Duke of
Berg, who was ill in one of the suburbs. We left next
day without visiting Bareges and Bagneres, where the
most brilliant preparations had been made to receive their
Majesties.
As the Emperor passed through Agen, there was pre-
sented to him a brave fellow named Printemps, over a
hundred years old, who had served under Louis XIV., XV.,
and XVI., and who, although bending beneath the weight of
many years and burdens, finding himself in the presence of
the Emperor, gently pushed aside two of his grandsons by
whom he had been supported, and exclaimed almost angrily
that he could go very well alone. His Majesty, who was
much touched, met him half-way, and most kindly bent
over the old centenarian, who on his knees, his white head
uncovered, and his eyes full of tears, said in trembling
tones, "Ah, Sire, I was afraid I should die without seeing
you." The Emperor assisted him to rise, and conducted
him to a chair, in which he placed him with his own
hands, and seated himself beside him on another, which he
made signs to hand him. "I am glad to see you, my dear
Printemps, very glad. You have heard from me lately? "
(His Majesty had given this brave man a pension, which
his wife was to inherit after his death.) Printemps put
his hand on his heart, " Yes, I have heard from you."
The Emperor took pleasure in making him speak of his
campaigns, and bade liini farewell after a long conversation,
handing him at the same time a gift of fifty napoleons-
116 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
There was also presented to his Majesty a soldier born
at Agen, who had lost his sight in consequence of the cam-
paign in Egypt. The Emperor gave him three hundred
francs, and promised him a pension, which was afterwards
sent him.
The- day after their arrival at Saint-Cloud, the Emperor
and Empress went to Paris in order to be present at the
fetes of the 15th of August, which it is useless to say were
magnificent. As soon as he entered the Tuileries, the Em-
peror hastened through the chateau to examine the repairs
and improvements which had been made during his absence,
and, as was his habit, criticised more than he praised all
that he saw. Looking out of the hall of the marshals, he
demanded of M. de Fleurieu,1 governor of the palace, why
the top of the arch of triumph on the Carrousel was covered
with a cloth ; and his Majesty was told that it was because
all the arrangements had not yet been made for placing his
statue in the chariot to which were attached the Corinthian
horses, and also because the two Victories who were to
guide the four horses were not yet completed. "What!"
vehemently exclaimed the Emperor ; " but I will not allow
that! I said nothing about it! I did not order it!" Then
turning to M. Fontaine, he continued, " Monsieur Fontaine,
was my statue in the design which was presented to you ? "
— " No, Sire, it was that of the god Mars." — " Well, why
have you put me in the place of the god of war ? " — " Sire,
it was not I, but M. the director-general of the museum " —
" The director-general was wrong," interrupted the Em-
peror impatiently. " I wish tliis statue removed ; do you
1 Count Charles Pierre Claret do Fleurieu, bom in Lyons, 1738 ; minister
of marine, 1790 ; councilor of state, 1799 ; senator, 1805 ; died 1810. — Trans.
THE PERSIAN AMBASSADOR. 117
hear, Monsieur Fontaine ? I wish it taken away ; it is most
unsuitable. What ! shall I erect statues to myself ! Let
the chariot and the Victories be finished ; but l»t the chariot
— let the chariot remain empty." The order was executed;
and the statue of the Emperor was taken down and placed
in the orangery, and is perhaps still there. It was made of
gilded lead, was a fine piece of work, and a most excellent
likeness.
The Sunday following the Emperor's arrival, his Majesty
received at the Tuileries the Persian ambassador, Asker-
Khan; INI. Jaubert1 accompanied him, and acted as inter-
preter. This savant, learned in Oriental matters, had by
the Emperor's orders received his excellency on the fron-
tiers of France, in company with M. Outre)r, vice-consul of
France at Bagdad. Later his excellency had a second audi-
ence, which took place in state at the palace of Saint-Cloud.
The ambassador was a veiy handsome man, tall, with
regular features, and a noble and attractive countenance;
his manners were polished and elegant, especially towards
ladies, with even something of French gallantry. His suite,
composed of select personages all magnificently dressed,
comprised, on his departure from Erzeroum, more than
three hundred persons; but the innumerable difficulties en-
countered on the journey compelled his excellency to dis-
miss a large part of his retinue, and, though thus reduced.
this suite was notwithstanding one of the most numerous
ever brought by an ambassador into France. The ambassa-
dor and suite were lodged in the rue de Frejus, in the
residence formerly occupied by Mademoiselle de Conti.
1 Pierre Ame'dee Jaubert, Oriental scholar, bom in Provence, 177'J; went
to Ejjypt with Napoleon. lT'JS; yeer, 1S11; died 1SA7. —Trans.
118 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
The presents which he brought to the Emperor in the
name of his sovereign were of great value, comprising
more than eighty cashmere shawls of all kinds ; a great
quantity of fine pearls of various sizes, a few of them very
large ; an Eastern bridle, the curb adorned with pearls, tur-
quoise, emeralds, etc. ; and finally the sword of Tamerlane,
and that of Thamas-Kouli-Khan, the former covered with
pearls and precious stones, the second very simply mounted,
both having Indian blades of fabulous value with ara-
besques of embossed gold.
I took pleasure at the time in inquiring some particu-
lars about this ambassador. His character was very attrac-
tive ; and he showed much consideration and regard for
every one who visited him, giving the ladies attar of roses,
the men tobacco, perfumes, and pipes. He took much
pleasure in comparing French jewels with those he had
brought from his own country, and even carried his gal-
lantry so far as to propose to the ladies certain exchanges,
always greatly to their advantage ; and a refusal of these
proposals wounded him deeply. When a pretty woman en-
tered his residence he smiled at first, and heard her speak
in a kind of silent ecstasy ; he then devoted his attention to
seating her, placed under her feet cushions and carpets of
cashmere (for he had only this material about him). Even
his clothing and bed-coverings were of an exceedingly fine
quality of cashmere. Asker-Khan did not scruple to wash
his face, his beard, and hands in the presence of everybody,
seating himself for this operation in front of a slave, who
presented to him on his knees a porcelain ewer.
The ambassador had a decided taste for the sciences
and arts, and was himself a very learned man. Messieurs
THE PERSIAN AMBASSADOR. 119
Dubois and Loyseau conducted near his residence an in-
stitution which he often visited, especially preferring to
be present at the classes in experimental physics ; and the
questions which he propounded by means of Ins interpreter
evinced on his part a very extensive knowledge of the phe-
nomena of electricity. Those who traded in curiosities
and objects of art liked him exceedingly, since he bought
their wares without much bargaining. However, on one
occasion he wished to purchase a telescope, and sent for a
famous optician, who seized the opportunity to charge him
an enormous price. But Asker-Khan having examined
the instrument, with which he was much pleased, said to
the optician, " You have given me your long price, now
give me your short one."
He admired above all the printed calicoes of the manu-
factures of Jouy, the texture, designs, and colors of which
he thought even superior to cashmere ; and bought several
robes to send to Persia as models.
On the day of the Emperor's fete, his Excellency gave
in the garden of liis residence an entertainment in the East-
ern style, at which the Persian musicians attached to the
embassy executed warlike pieces, astonishing both for vigor
and originality. There were also artificial fireworks, con-
spicuous among which were the arms of the Sufi, on
which were represented most ingeniously the cipher of
Napoleon.
His Excellency visited the Imperial library, M. Jaubert
serving as interpreter; and the ambassador was overcome
with admiration on seeing the order in which this immense
collection of books was kept. He remained half an hour
in the hall of the manuscripts, which he thought very
120 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
handsome, and recognized several as being copied by
writers of much renown in Persia. A copy of the Koran
struck him most of all ; and he said, while admiring it,
that there was not a man in Persia who would not sell his
children to acquire such a treasure.
On leaving, the library, Asker-Khan presented his com-
pliments to the librarians, and promised to enrich the col-
lection by several precious manuscripts which he had
brought from his own country.
A few days after his presentation, the ambassador went
to visit the Museum, and was much impressed by a portrait
of his master, the King of Persia ; and could not suffi-
ciently express his joy and gratitude when several copies of
this picture were presented to him. The historical pic-
tures, especially the battle-scenes, then engrossed his atten-
tion completely ; and he remained at least a quarter of an
hour in front of the one representing the surrender of the
city of Vienna.
Having arrived at the end of the gallery of Apollo,
Asker-Khan seated himself to rest, asked for a pipe, and
indulged in a smoke ; and when he had finished, rose,
and seeing around him many ladies whom curiosity had
attracted, paid them, through M. Jaubert, exceedingly
flattering compliments. Then leaving the Museum, his
Excellency went to promenade in the garden of the Tui-
leries, where he was soon followed by an immense crowd.
On that day his Excellency bestowed on Prince de Bene-
vento, in the name of his sovereign, the Grand Order of
the Sun, a magnificent decoration consisting of a diamond
sun attached to a cordon of red cloth covered with pearls.
Asker-Khan made a greater impression at Paris thai)
THE PERSIAN AMBASSADOR. 121
the Turkish ambassador. He was generous and more gal-
lant, paid his court with more address, and conformed
more readily to French customs and manners. The Turk
was irascible, austere, and irritable, while the Persian was
fond of and well understood a joke. One day, however, he
became red with anger, and it must be admitted not with-
out good reason.
At a concert given in the apartments of the Empress
Josephine, Asker-Khan, whom the music evidently did not
entertain very highly, at first applauded by ecstatic ges-
tures and rolling his eyes in admiration, until at last nature
overcame politeness, and the ambassador fell sound asleep.
His Excellency's position was not the best for sleeping,
however, as he was standing with his back against the
wall, with his feet braced against a sofa on which a lady
was seated. It occurred to some of the officers of the
palace that it would be a good joke to take away suddenly
this point of support, which they accomplished with all
ease by simply beginning a conversation with the lady on
the sofa, who rising suddenly, the scat slipped over the
floor; his Excellency's feet followed this movement, and
the ambassador, suddenly deprived of the weight which
had balanced him, extended his length on the floor. On
this rude awakening, he tried to stop himself in his fall by
clutching at his neighbors, the furniture, and the curtains,
uttering at the same time frightful screams. The officers
who had played tliis cruel joke upon him begged him, with
the most ridiculously serious air, to place himself on a sta-
tionary chair in order to avoid the recurrence of such an
accident; while the lad}' who had been made the accom-
plice in this practical joke, with much difficulty stilled her
122 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
laughter, and his Excellency was consumed with an anger
which he could express only in looks and gestures.
Another adventure of Asker-Khan's was long a subject
of conversation, and furnished much amusement. Having
felt unwell for several days, he thought that French medi-
cine might cure him more quickly than Persian ; so he sent
for M. Bourdois,1 a most skillful physician whose name he
well knew, having taken care to acquaint himself with all
our celebrities of every kind. The ambassador's orders
were promptly executed ; but by a singular mistake it was
not Dr. Bourdois who was requested to visit Asker-Khan,
but the president of the Court of Accounts, M. Marbois,
who was much astonished at the honor the Persian ambas-
sador did him, not being able to comprehend what con-
nection there could be between them. Nevertheless, he
repaired promptly to Asker-Khan, who could scarcely be-
lieve that the severe costume of the president of the Court
of Accounts was that of a physician. No sooner had M.
Marbois entered than the ambassador held out Iris hand
and stuck out his tongue, regarding him very attentively.
M. Marbois was a little surprised at this welcome ; but
thinking it was doubtless the Oriental manner of saluting
magistrates, he bowed profoundly, and timidly pressed the
hand presented to him, and he was in this respectful posi-
tion when four of the servants of the ambassador brought a
a vessel with unequivocal signs. M. Marbois 2 recognized
the use of it with a surprise and indignation that could
i Physician to Louis XVIII. and Charles X. ; bom 1754 ; died 1830. —
Trans.
2 Marquis Francis de Barbe'-Marbois, born at Metz, 1745; in 1780 consul;
general to U. S. A.; deported to Guiana by the Directory, 1797; minister of
finance, 1801 ; president of chamber of accounts, 1808 ; died 1837. —Trans.
THE PERSIAN AMBASSADOR. 22?
not be expressed, and drew back angrily, inquiring what
all this meant. Hearing himself called doctor, "What!"
cried he, "M. le Docteur!" — "Why, yes; le Docteur
Bourdois!" M. Marbois was enlightened. The similarity
between the sound of his name and that of the doctor had
exposed him to this disagreeable visit.
124 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER XI.
Removal of the colossal statue to the Place Vendome. — The brewer's horses.
— Napoleon's last game of prisoner's base. — Departure for Erfurt. — The
Emperor's lodgings. — The garrison of Erfurt. — Actors and actresses of
the Theatre Francaise at Erfurt. — The Emperor's dislike to Madame
Talma. — Mademoiselle Bourgoin and the Emperor Alexander. — Pater-
nal advice of the Emperor to the Czar. — Disappointment. — Entrance of
the Emparor into Erfurt. — Arrival of the Czar. — Attentions of the
Czar to the Duke of Montebello. — Meeting of the Emperor and the
Czar. — Entrance of the two Emperors into Erfurt. — Reciprocal defer-
ence.— The Czar dines every day with the Emperor. — Intimacy of the
Emperor and the Czar. — Dressing-case and bed given to Alexander by
Napoleon. — The Emperor of Russia's present to Constant. — The Czar
making his toilet at the Emperor's. — Exchange of presents. — The three
pelisses of sable fur. — History of one of these three pelisses. — The Prin-
cess Pauline and hexprotegg. — The Emperor's anger. — Exile.
The day preceding the Emperor's fete, or the day
following, the colossal bronze statue which was to be placed
on the monument in the Place Vendome was removed from
the studio of M. Launay. The brewers of the Faubourg
Saint- Antoine offered their handsomest horses to draw the
chariot on which the statue was carried, and twelve were,
selected, one from each brewer; and as their masters re-
quested the privilege of riding them, nothing could be
more singular than tl is cortege, which arrived on the
Place Vendome at five o'clock in the evening, followed
by an immense crowd, amid cries of " Vive V Empereur."
A few days before his Majesty's departure for Erfurt,
the Emperor with the Empress and their households played
prisoner's base for the last time. It was in the evening; and
DEPARTURE FOR ERFURT. 125
footmen bore lighted torches, and followed the players when
they went beyond the reach of the light. The Emperor
fell once while trying to catch the Empress, and was taken
prisoner ; but he soon broke bounds and began to run again,
and when he was free, carried off Josephine in spite of the
protests of the players ; and thus ended the last game of
prisoner's base that I ever saw the Emperor play.
It had been decided that the Emperor Alexander and
the Emperor Napoleon should meet at Erfurt on the 27th
of September; and most of the sovereigns forming the
Confederation of the Rhine had been invited to be pres-
ent at this interview, which it was intended should be
both magnificent and imposing. Consequently the Duke of
Frioul, grand marshal of the palace, sent M. de Canouville,
marshal of lodgings of the palace, M. de Beausset, prefect
of the palace, and two quartermasters to prepare at Erfurt
lodgings for all these illustrious visitors, and to organize
the grand marshal's service.
The government palace was chosen for the Emperor
Napoleon's lodgings, as on account of its size it perfectly
suited the Emperor's intention of holding his court there ;
for the Emperor Alexander, the residence of M. Triebel
was prepared, the handsomest in the town ; and for
S. A. I., the Grand Duke Constantine, that of Senator
Remann. Other residences were reserved for the Princes
of the Confederation and the persons of their suite ; and
a detachment of all branches of the service of the Im-
perial household was established in each of these different
lodgings.
There had been sent from the storehouse of the crown
a large quantity of magnificent furniture, — carpets and
126 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
tapestry, both Gobelin and la Savonnerie ; bronzes, lusters,
candelabras, girondoles, Sevres china ; in fine, everything
which could contribute to the luxurious furnishing of the
two Imperial palaces, and those which were to be occupied
by the other sovereigns ; and a crowd of workmen came
from Paris. General Oudinot1 was appointed Governor of
Erfurt, and had under his orders the First regiment
of hussars, the Sixth of cuirassiers, and the Seventeenth
of light infantry, which the major-general had appointed
to compose the garrison. Twenty select police, with a bat-
talion chosen from the finest grenadiers of the guard,
were put on duty at the Imperial palaces.
The Emperor, who sought by every means to render
this interview at Erfurt as agreeable as possible to the sov-
ereigns for whom he had conceived an affection at Tilsit,
wished to have the masterpieces of the French stage played
in their honor. This was the amusement most worthy of
them that he could procure, so he gave orders that the
theater should be embellished and repaired. M. Dazincourt
was appointed director of the theater, and set out from
Paris with Messieurs Talma, Lafon, Saint-Prix, Damas, Des-
pres, Varennes, Lacave; Mesdames Duchesnoir, Raucourt,
Talma, Bourgoin, Rose Dupuis, Grosand, and Patrat; and
everything was in order before the arrival of the sovereigns.
Napoleon disliked Madame Talma exceedingly, although
she displayed most remarkable talent, and this aversion
was well known, although I could never discover the cause ;
and no one was willing to be first to place her name on the
list of those selected to go to Erfurt, but M. Talma made
1 In 1809, at the battle of Wagram, created Marshal and Duke of Eaggio.
Born 1767 ; died 1847.— Trans.
THE THEATER AT ERFURT. 127
so iuany entreaties that at last consent was given. And
then occurred what everybody except M. Talma and his
wife had foreseen, that the Emperor, having seen her play
once, was much provoked that she had been allowed to
come, and had her name struck from the list.
Mademoiselle Bourgoin, who was at that time young
and extremely pretty, had at first more success ; but it was
necessary, in order to accomplish this, that she should con-
duct herself differently from Madame Talma. As soon as
she appeared at the theater of Erfurt she excited the admi-
ration, and became the object of the attentions, of all the
illustrious spectators ; and this marked preference gave rise
to jealousies, which delighted her greatly, and which she
increased to the utmost of her ability by every means in
her power. When she was not playing, she took her seat
in the theater magnificently dressed, whereupon all looks
were bent on her, and distracted from the stage, to the
very great displeasure of the actors, until the Emperor at
last perceived these frequent distractions, and put an end
to them by forbidding Mademoiselle Bourgoin to appear
in the theater except on the stage.
This measure, which was very wisely taken by his Maj-
jesty, put lnm in the bad graces of Mademoiselle Bourgoin ;
and another incident added still more to the displeasure
of the actress. The two sovereigns attended the theater
together almost every evening, and the Emperor Alexander
thought Mademoiselle Bourgoin charming. She was aware
of this, and tried by every means to increase the monarch's
devotion. One day at last the amorous Czar confided to
the Emperor his feelings for Mademoiselle Bourgoin. " I
do not advise you to make any advances," said the Emperor
128 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
Napoleon. " You think that she would refuse me ? " — " Oh,
no ; but to-morrow is the day for the post, and in five days
all Paris would know all about your Majesty from head to
foot." These words singularly cooled the ardor of the auto-
crat, who thanked the Emperor for his advice, and said to
him, " But from the manner in which your Majesty speaks,
I should be tempted to believe that you bear this charming
actress some ill-will." — "No, in truth," replied the Em-
peror, " I do not know anything about her." This con-
versation took place in his bedroom during the toilet.
Alexander left his Majesty perfectly convinced, and Made-
moiselle Bourgoin ceased her ogling and her assurance,
His Majesty made his entrance into Erfurt on the morn-
ing of the 27th of September, 1808. The King of Saxony,
who had arrived first, followed by the Count de Marcolini,
the Count de Haag, and the Count de Boze, awaited the
Emperor at the foot of the stairs in the governor's palace ;
after them came the members of the Regency and the
municipality of Erfurt, who congratulated him in the usual
form. After a short rest, the Emperor mounted his horse,
and left Erfurt by the gate of Weimar, making, in pass-
ing, a visit to the King of Saxony, and found outside the
city the whole garrison arranged in line of battle, — the
grenadiers of the guard commanded by M. d'Arquies ;
the First regiment of hussars by M. de Juniac ; the Sev-
enteenth infantry by M. de Cabannes-Puymisson ; and the
Sixth cuirassiers, the finest body of men imaginable, by
Colonel d'Haugeranville. The Emperor reviewed these
troops, ordered a change in some dispositions, and then
continued on his way to meet the Emperor Alexander.
The latter had set out from Saint Petersburg on the
MEETING OF THE EMPERORS. 129
17th of September; and the King and Queen of Prussia
awaited him at Koenigsberg, where he arrived on the 18th.
The Duke of Montebello had the honor of receiving him
at Bromberg amid a salute of twenty-one cannon. Alight-
ing from his carriage, the Emperor Alexander mounted his
horse, accompanied by the Marshals of the Empire, Soult,
Duke of Dalmatia, and Lannes, Duke of Montebello, and
set off at a gallop to meet the Nansouty division, which
awaited him arranged in line of battle. He was welcomed
by a new salute, and by oft repeated cries of "Long live
the Emperor Alexander." The monarch, while reviewing
the different corps which formed this fine division, said
to the officers, " I think it a great honor, messieurs, to be
amongst such brave men and splendid soldiers."
By orders of Marshal Soult, who simply executed those
given by Napoleon, relays of the post had been arranged
on all the roads which the Monarch of the North would
pass over, and they were forbidden to receive any com-
pensation. At each relay were escorts of dragoons or light
cavalry, who rendered military honors to the Czar as he
passed.
After having dined with the generals of the Nansouty
division, the Emperor of Russia re-entered his carriage,
a barouche with two seats, and seated the Duke of Monte-
bello beside him, who afterwards told me with how many
marks of esteem and kind feeling the Emperor over-
whelmed him during the journey, even arranging the mar-
shal's cloak around his shoulders while he was asleep.
His Imperial Russian Majesty arrived at Weimar the
evening of the 26th, and next day continued Ins journey
to Erfurt, escorted by Marshal Soult, his staff, and the
130 BECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
superior officers of the Nansouty division, who had not left
him since he had started from Bromberg, and met Napo-
leon a league and a half from Erfurt, to which place the
latter had come on horseback for this purpose.
The moment the Czar perceived the Emperor, he left
his carriage, and advanced towards his Majesty, who had
also alighted from his horse. They embraced each other
with the affection of two college friends who meet again
after a long absence ; then both mounted their horses, as
did also the Grand Duke Constantine, and passing at a
gallop in front of the regiments, all of which presented
arms at their approach, entered the town, while the troops,
with an immense crowd collected from twenty leagues
around, made the air resound with their acclamations.
The Emperor of Russia wore on entering Erfurt the
grand decoration of the Legion of Honor, and the Em-
peror of the French that of Saint Andrew of Russia ; and
the two sovereigns during their stay continued to show
each other these marks of mutual deference, and it was
also remarked that in his palace the Emperor always gave
the right to Alexander. On the evening of his arrival, by
his Majesty's invitation, Alexander gave the countersign to
the grand marshal, and it was afterwards given alternately
by the two sovereigns.
They went first to the palace of Russia, where they
remained an hour ; and later, when Alexander came to
return the visit of the Emperor, he received him at the
foot of the staircase, and accompanied him when he left
as far as the entrance of the grand hall. At six o'clock
the two sovereigns dined at his Majesty's residence, and
it was the same each day. At nine o'clock the Emperor
AT EEFURT.
131
escorted the Emperor of Russia to his palace ; and they
then held a private conversation, which continued more
than an hour, and in the evening the whole city was
illuminated. The day after his arrival the Emperor re-
ceived at his levee the officers of the Czar's household,
and granted them the grand entry during the rest of their
stay.1
1 Note by Constant. — This is the list of the persons who comprised
the suite of the two Emperors.
The grand marshal, Duke of Frioul
(Duroc).
The Prince of Neuchatel (Berthier).
General Caulaincourt, Duke of Vicenza,
grand equerry, ambassador of France
to St. Petersburg.
The Prince of Benevento, grand cham-
berlain (Talleyrand).
The Duke of Bassano (Maret).
The Duke of Cadore, minister of foreign
relations.
General Nansouty, first equerry.
M. de R^musat, first chamberlain.
General Lauriston, the Emperor's aide-
de-camp.
General Savary, Duke of Rovigo, the
Emperor's aide-de-camp.
M. the Count Daru,
M. Cavaletti, equerry.
M. Eugene de Montesquieu, chamber-
lain.
M. de Canouville, marshal of the lodg-
ings for the palace.
M. de MeneVal, his Majesty's private
secretary.
M. Fain, another secretary.
M. de Beausset, prefect of the palace.
M. Yvan, his Majesty's surgeon.
Eight pages.
Persons composing the suite of his Majesty the Emperor of Russia.
Count Tolstoi, grand marshal of the
palace.
The Prince of Galitzin, his Majesty's
secretary.
Count Romanzoff, minister of foreign
affairs.
General Count Tolstoi', Russian ambas-
sador in France, come from Paris.
Count Speranki.
Prince Wolkonski.
Count Oggeroski.
Prince Trubetskoi.
Prince Gargarin.
Count Oraklscheff.
Count Schouvaloff.
General Kitroff, aide-de-camp to the
Grand Duke Constantino.
M. Apraxin, aide-de-camp to the minis-
ter of war.
M. Balabin, colonel of the horse-guards.
M. Alkoukieff.
Prince Golgorouki, officer of the guards.
Count Ozanski, chamberlain attached
to foreign relations.
M. Gervais, j Councilors of state,
M. Creidmann, > attache's of the for-
M. Sculpoff, > eign relations dep't.
Secretaries of the
embassy, arrived
from Paris.
M. de Labanski, Russian consul in
France, idem.
General Kanikoff, Russian minister to
Saxony, arrived from Dresden.
M. Schoodes, secretary of the legation,
idem.
M. Bethmann, Russian consul to Frank-
fort, arrived from Frankfort.
Count Nesselrode,
M. Boubagin,
132 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
The two sovereigns gave to each other proofs of the
most sincere friendship and most confidential intimacy.
The Emperor Alexander almost every morning entered
his Majesty's bedroom, and conversed freely with him.
One day he was examining the Emperor's dressing-case
in silver gilt, which cost six thousand francs, and was
most conveniently arranged and beautifully carved by the
goldsmith Biemiais, and admired it exceedingly. As soon
as he had gone, the Emperor ordered me to have a dress-
ing-case sent to the Czar's palace exactly similar to that
which had just been received from Paris.
Another time the Emperor Alexander remarked on the
elegance and durability of his Majesty's iron bedstead ; and
the very next day by his Majesty's orders, conveyed by me, an
exactly similar bed was set up in the room of the Emperor of
Russia, who was delighted with these polite attentions, and
two days after, as an evidence of his satisfaction, ordered
M. de Remusat to hand me two handsome diamond rings.
The Czar one day made his toilet in the Emperor's room,
and I assisted. I took from the Emperor's linen a white
cravat and cambric handkerchief, which I handed him, and
for which he thanked me most graciously ; he was an exceed-
ingly gentle, good, amiable prince, and extremely polite.
There was an exchange of presents between these illus-
trious sovereigns. Alexander made the Emperor a present
of three superb pelisses of martin-sable, one of which the
Emperor gave to his sister Pauline, another to the Princess
de Ponte-Corvo ; and the third he had lined with green vel-
vet and ornamented with gold lace, and it was this cloak
which he constantly wore in Russia. The history of the
one which I carried from him to the Princess Pauline is
STORY OF THE FUR PELISSE. 133
singular enough to be related here, although it may have
been already told.
The Princess Pauline showed much pleasure in receiving
the Emperor's present, and enjoyed displaying her cloak
for the admiration of the household. One day, when she
was in the midst of a circle of ladies, to whom she was
dilating on the quality and excellence of this fur, M. de
Canouville arrived, and the princess asked his opinion
of the present she had received from the Emperor. The
handsome colonel not appearing as much struck with ad-
miration as she expected, she was somewhat piqued, and
exclaimed, " What, monsieur, you do not think it ex-
quisite ? " — " No, madame." — " In order to punish you I
wish you to keep this cloak ; I give it to you, and require
you to wear it; I wish it, you understand." It is proba-
ble that there had been some disagreement between her
Imperial highness and her protege, and the princess had
seized the first means of establishing peace ; but however
that may be, M. de Canouville needed little entreaty, and
the rich fur was carried to his house. A few days after,
while the Emperor was holding a review on the Place du
Carrousel, M. de Canouville appeared on an unruly horse,
which he had great difficulty in controlling. This caused
some confusion, and attracted his Majesty's attention, who,
glancing at M. de Canouville, saw the cloak which he
had given his sister metamorphosed into a hussar's cape.
The Emperor had great difficulty in controlling his anger.
"M. de Canouville," he cried, in a voice of thimder, "your
horse is young, and his blood is too warm ; you will go and
cool it in Russia." Three days after M. de Canouville
had left Paris.
134 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER XII.
The Czar's consideration for French actors. — Fine parties. — Intimate friend-
ship of the King of Westphalia and Grand Duke Constantine. — School-
hoy farces. — Singular order of Prince Constantine. — Souvenirs at the
theater of Erfurt. — Deafness of the Czar, attention of the Emperor. —
Cinna, (Edipus. — An allusion acted on hy the Czar. — Nocturnal alarm. —
Constant's terror. — Napoleon's nightmare. — A bear eating the Emperor's
heart. — Singular coincidence. — Hunting-party. — The smiles of the two
Emperors. — Massacre of game. — Dibut of the Czar at the chase. — Ball
opened hy the Czar. — Astonishment of the Muscovite lords. — Breakfast
on Mount Napoleon. — Visit to the battle-field of Jena. — The inhabit-
ants of Jena and landowners indemnil^ed by the Emperor. — Gift of
a hundred thousand crowns made by the Emperor to the victims of the
batble of Je'na. — A lesson in strategy given by Napoleon to his allies. —
Representation of Marshal Berthier. — The Emperor's reply. — Conver-
sation between the Emperor and the allied sovereigns. — The Emperor's
learning. — Decorations and presents distributed by the two Emperors. —
End of the interview at Erfurt. — Separation.
The Emperor Alexander never tired of showing his
regard for actors by presents and compliments ; and as for
actresses, I have told before how far he would have gone
with one of them if Napoleon had not deterred him. Each
day the Grand Duke Constantine got up parties of pleas-
ure with Murat and other distinguished persons, at which
no expense was spared, and some of these ladies did the
honors. And what furs and diamonds they carried away
from Erfurt ! The two Emperors were not ignorant of al]
this, and were much amused thereby ; and it was the favor-
ite subject of conversation in the morning. Constantine
had conceived an especial affection for King Jerome ; and
AT ERFURT. 135
the king even carried his affection so far as to tutoy him,
and wished hirn to do the same. "Is it because I am a
king," he said one day, "that you are afraid to say thou to
me? Come, now, is there any need of formality between
friends ? " They performed all sorts of college pranks
together, even running through the streets at night, knock-
ing and ringing at every door, much delighted when they
had waked up some honest bourgeois. As the Emperor
was leaving, King Jerome said to the grand duke ; " Come,
tell me what you wish me to send you from Paris."
— "Nothing whatever," replied the grand duke.; "your
brother has presented me with a magnificent sword ; I am
satisfied, and desire nothing more." — "But I wish to send
you something, so tell me what would give you pleasure."
— " Well, send me six demoiselles from the Palais Royal."
The play at Erfurt usually began at seven o'clock ; but
the two Emperors, who always came together, never arrived
till half -past seven. At their entrance, all the pit of kings
rose to do them honor, and the first piece immediately
commenced.
At the representation of Cinna, the Emperor feared
that the Czar, who was placed by his side in a box facing
the stage, and on the first tier, might not hear very well,
as he was somewhat deaf ; and consequently gave orders
to M. de Remusat, first chamberlain, that a platform should
be raised on the floor of the orchestra, and armchairs
placed there for Alexander and himself; and on the right
and left four handsomely decorated chairs for the King
of Saxony and the other sovereigns of the Confederation,
while the princes took possession of the box abandoned
by their Majesties. By this arrangement the two Emperors
136 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
found themselves in such a conspicuous position that it
was impossible for them to make a movement without being
seen by every one. On the 3d of October (Edipus was
presented. "All the sovereigns," as the Emperor called
them, were present at this representation ; and just as the
actor pronounced these words in the first scene : —
" The friendship of a great man is a gift from the gods : "
the Czar arose, and held out his hand with much grace
to the Emperor ; and immediately acclamations, which the
presence of the sovereigns could not restrain, burst forth
from every part of the hall.
On the evening of this same day I prepared the Em-
peror for bed as usual. All the doors which opened into
his sleeping-room were carefully closed, as well as the shut-
ters and windows ; and there was consequently no means
of entering his Majesty's room except through the chamber
in which I slept with Roustan, and a sentinel was also sta-
tioned at the foot of the staircase. Every night I slept
very calmly, knowing that it was impossible any one could
reach Napoleon without waking me ; but that night, about
two o'clock, while I was sleeping soundly, a strange noise
woke me with a start. I rubbed my eyes, and listened
with the greatest attention, and, hearing nothing whatever,
thought this noise the illusion of a dream, and was just
dropping to sleep again, when my ear was struck by low,
smothered screams, such as a man might utter who was
being strangled. I heard them repeated twice, and in an
instant was sitting up straight in bed, my hair on end,
and my limbs covered with a cold sweat. Suddenly it oc-
curred to me that the Emperor was being assassinated, and
NAPOLEON'S NIGHTMARE. 137
I sprang out of bed and woke Roustan ; and as the cries
now recommenced with added intensity, I opened the door
as cautiously as my agitation allowed, and entered the
sleeping-room, and with a hasty glance assured myself that
no one could have entered. On advancing towards the
bed, I perceived his Majesty extended across it, in a posi-
tion denoting great agony, the drapery and bed-covering
thrown off, and his whole body in a frightful condition of
nervous contraction. From his open mouth escaped inar-
ticulate sounds, his breathing appeared greatly oppressed,
and one of his hands, tightly clinched, lay on the pit of
his stomach. I was terrified at the sight, and called him.
He did not reply; again, once, twice even, still no reply.
At last I concluded to shake him gently; and at this the
Emperor awoke with a loud cry, saying, "What is it?
What is it?" then sat up and opened his eyes wide; upon
which I told him that, seeing him tormented with a hor-
rible nightmare, I had taken the liberty of waking him.
"And you did well, my dear Constant," interrupted his
Majesty. "Ah, my friend, I have had a frightful dream;
a bear was tearing open my breast, and devouring my
heart!" Thereupon the Emperor rose, and, while I put
his bed in order, walked about the room. He was obliged
to change his shirt, which was wet with perspiration, and
at length again retired.
The next day, when he woke, he told me that it was
long before he could fall to sleep again, so vivid and terri-
ble was the impression made on hirn. He long retained
the memory of this dream, and often spoke of it, each time
trying to draw from it different conclusions, according to
circumstances.
138 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
As to myself, I avow I was struck with the coincidence
of the compliment of Alexander at the theater and this
frightful nightmare, especially as the Emperor was not
subject to disturbances of this kind. I do not know
whether his Majesty related his dream to the Emperor of
Russia.
On the 6th of October their Majesties attended a hunt-
ing-party which the Grand Duke of Weimar prepared for
them in the forest of Ettersbourg. The Emperor set out
from Erfurt at noon, with the Emperor of Russia in the
same coach. They arrived in the forest at one o'clock,
and found prepared for them a hunting-pavilion, which
had been erected expressly for this occasion, and was very
handsomely decorated. This pavilion was divided into
three parts, separated by open columns; that in the mid-
dle, raised higher than the others, formed a pretty room,
arranged and furnished for the two Emperors. Around
the pavilion were placed numerous orchestras, which played
inspiriting airs, with which were mingled the acclamations
of an immense crowd, who had been attracted by a desire
to see the Emperor.
The two sovereigns were received on their descent from
their carriage by the Grand Duke of Weimar and his son,
the hereditary prince, Charles Frederic ; while the King of
Bavaria, King of Saxony, King of Wiirtemberg, Prince Wil-
liam of Prussia, the Princes of Mecklenburg, the Prince
Primate, and the Duke of Oldenburg awaited them at the
entrance to the saloon.
The Emperor had in his suite the Prince of Neuchatel ;
the Prince of Benevento; the grand marshal of the palace,
Duke de Frioul ; General Caulaincourt, Duke of Vicenza ;
THE HUNTING-PARTY. 139
the Duke of Rovigo ; General Lauristou, his Majesty's aide-
de-camp ; General Nansouty, first equerry ; the chamberlain,
Eugene de Montesquiou ; the Count de Beausset, prefect of
the palace ; and M. Cavaletti.
The Emperor of Russia was accompanied by the Grand
Duke Constantine ; the Count Tolstoi, grand marshal ; and
Count Oggeroski, aide-de-camp to his Majesty.
The hunt lasted nearly two hours, during which time
about sixty stags and roebucks were killed. The space in
which these poor animals had to run was inclosed by net-
ting, in order that the monarchs might shoot them at
pleasure, without disturbing themselves while seated in the
windows of the pavilion. I have never seen an}'thing more
absurd than hunts of this sort, which, nevertheless, give
those who engage in them a reputation as fine shots. What
skill is there in killing an animal which the gamekeepers,
so to speak, take by the ears and place in front of your gun.
The Emperor of Russia was near-sighted, and this in-
firmity had deterred him from an amusement which he would
have enjoyed very much ; but that da}r, however, he wished
to make the attempt, and, having expressed this wish, the
Duke of Montebello handed him a gun, and M. de Beau-
terne had the honor of giving the Emperor his first lesson.
A stag was driven so as to pass within about eight steps of
Alexander, who brought him down at the first shot.
After the hunt their Majesties repaired to the palace of
Weimar; and the reigning duchess received them, as they
alighted from their carriages, accompanied by her whole
court. The Emperor saluted the duchess affectionately,
remembering that he had seen her two years before under
very different circumstances, which I mentioned in its place.
140 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
The Duke of Weimar had requested from the grand marshal
French cooks to prepare the Emperor's dinner, but the
Emperor preferred being served in the German style.
Their Majesties invited to dine with them the Duke and
Duchess of Weimar, the Queen of Westphalia, the King of
Wurtemberg, the King of Saxony, the Grand Duke Constan-
tine, Prince William of Prussia, the Prince Primate, the
Prince of Neuchatel, Prince Talleyrand, the Duke of Olden-
burg, the hereditary Prince of Weimar, and the Prince of
Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
After this dinner there was a play, followed by a ball,
the play being at the town theater, where the ordinary co-
medians of his Majesty presented the death of Csesar ; and
the ball, at the ducal palace. The Emperor Alexander
opened the ball with the Queen of Westphalia, to the great
astonishment of every one ; for it was well known that this
monarch had never danced since his accession to the throne,
conduct which the older men of the court thought very
praiseworthy, holding the opinion that a sovereign occupies
too high a place to share in the tastes and take pleasure in
amusements common to the rest of mankind. Except tliis,
however, there was nothing in the ball of Weimar to scan-
dalize them, as they did not dance, but promenaded in
couples, whilst the orchestra played marches.
The morning of the next day their Majesties entered
carriages to visit Mount Napoleon, near Jena, where a
splendid breakfast was prepared for them under a tent
which the Duke of Weimar had erected on the identical
spot where the Emperor's bivouac stood on the day of the
battle of Jena. After breakfast the two Emperors ascended
a temporary pavilion which had been erected on Mount
VISIT TO J&NA. 141
Napoleon ; this pavilion, which was very large, had been
decorated with plans of the battle. A deputation from the
town and university of Jena arrived, and were received by
their Majesties ; and the Emperor inquired of the deputies
the most minute particulars relating to their town, its re-
sources, and the manners and character of its inhabitants ;
questioned them on the approximate damages which the
military hospital, which had been so long left with them,
had caused the inhabitants of Jena ; inquired the names of
those who had suffered most from fire and war, and gave
orders that a gratuity should be distributed among them,
and the small proprietors entirely indemnified. His Maj-
esty informed himself with much interest of the condition
of the Catholic worship, and promised to endow the vicarage
in perpetuity, granting three hundred thousand francs for
immediate necessities, and promising to give still more.
After having visited, on horseback, the positions which
the two armies had held the evening before, and on the day
of, the battle of Jena, as well as the plain of Aspolda, on
which the duke had prepared a hunt with guns, the two
Emperors returned to Erfurt, which they reached at rive
o'clock in the evening, almost at the very moment the
grand hereditary duke of Baden and the Princess Stephanie
arrived.
During the entire visit of the sovereigns to the battle-
field, the Emperor most graciously made explanations to the
young Czar, to which he listened with the greatest interest.
His Majesty seemed to take pleasure in explaining at length,
— first, the plan which he had formed and carried out at
J6na, and afterwards the various plans of his other cam-
paigns, the maneuvers which he had executed, his usual
142 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
tactics, and, in fine, his whole ideas on the art of war.
The Emperor thus, for several hours, carried on the whole
conversation alone ; and his royal audience paid him as
much attention as scholars, eager to learn, pay to the in-
structions of their teacher.
When his Majesty returned to his apartment, I heard
Marshal Berthier say to him, " Sire, are you not afraid that
the sovereigns may some day use to advantage against you
all that you have just taught them ? Your Majesty just now
seemed to forget what you formerly told us, that it is neces-
sary to act with our allies as if they were afterwards to be
our enemies." — " Berthier," replied the Emperor, smiling,
" that is a good observation on your part, and I thank you
for it, I really believe I have made you think I was an
idiot. You think, then," continued his Majesty, pinching
sharply one of the Prince de Neuchatel's ears, " that I com-
mitted the indiscretion of giving them whips with which to
return and flog us ? Calm yourself, I did not tell them all."
The Emperor's table at Erfurt was in the form of a
half-moon ; and at the upper end, and consequently at the
rounded part, of this table their Majesties were seated, and
on the right and left the sovereigns of the Confederation
according to their rank. The side facing their Majesties
was always empty ; and there stood M. de Beausset, the
prefect of the palace, who relates in his Memoirs that one
day he overheard the following conversation : —
" On that day the subject of conversation was the Golden Bull,
which, until the establishment of the Confederation of the Rhine, had
served as a constitution, and had regulated the law for the election of
emperors, the number and rank of the electors, etc. The Prince Pri-
mate entered into some details regarding this Golden Bull, which he
AT ERFURT. 143
said was made in 1409 ; -whereupon the Emperor Napoleon pointed out
to him that the date which was assigned to the Golden Bull was not
correct, and that it was proclaimed in 1336, during the reign of the
Emperor Charles IV. ' That is true, Sire,' replied the Prince Primate,
' I was mistaken ; but how does it happen that your Majesty is so well
acquainted with these matters ? ' — ' When I was a mere sub-lieutenant
in the artillery,' said Napoleon, — at this beginning, there was on the
part of the guests a marked movement of interest, and he continued,
smiling, — < when I had the honor to be simply sub-lieutenant in the
artillery I remained three years in the garrison at Valence, and, as I
cared little for society, led a very retired life. By fortunate chance
I had lodgings with a kind and intelligent bookseller. I read and
re-read his library during the three years I remained in the garrison^
and have forgotten nothing, even matters which have had no connec-
tion with my position. Nature, besides, has given me a good memory
for figures, and it often happens with my ministers that I can give
them details and the sum total of accounts they presented long
since.' "
A few days before his departure from Erfurt, the Em-
peror bestowed the cross of the Legion of Honor on M.
de Bigi, commandant of arms at this place ; M. Vegel, bur-
gomaster of Jena ; Messrs. Weiland and Goethe ; M. Starlk,
senior physician at Jena. He gave to General Count
Tolstoi', ambassador from Russia, who had been recalled
from this post by his sovereign to take a command in the
army, the grand decoration of the Legion of Honor ; to
M. the dean Meimung, who had said mass twice at the
palace, a ring of brilliants, with the cipher N surmounted
by a crown; and a hundred napoleons to the two priests
who had assisted him ; finally, to the grand marshal of
the palace. Count Tolstoi', the beautiful Gobelin tapestry,
Savonnerie carpets, and Sevres porcelain, which had been
brought from Paris to furnish the palace of Erfurt. The
144
RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
minister's grand officers, and officers of Alexander's suite,
received from his Majesty magnificent presents ; and the
Emperor Alexander did likewise in regard to the persons
attached to his Majesty. He gave the Duke of Vicenza
the grand cordon of Saint Andrew, and a badge of the
same order set in diamonds to the Princes of Benevento
and Neuchatel.
Charmed by the talent of the French comedians, espe-
cially that of Talma, the Emperor Alexander sent very
handsome presents to her as well as all her companions;
he sent compliments to the actresses, and to the director, M.
Dazincourt, whom he did not forget in his distribution of gifts.
This interview at Erfurt, which was so brilliant with
illuminations, splendor, and luxury, ended on the 14th of
October; and all the great personages whom it had at-
tracted left between the 8th and the 14th of October.1
1 This is the list of the principal persons.
The King of Bavaria.
The King of Wiirtemberg.
The King of Saxony.
The King and Queen of Westphalia.
The Prince Primate.
The Grand Duke and the Grand Duch-
ess of Hesse-Darmstadt.
The Grand Duke and the Grand Duch-
ess of Baden.
The Duke and the Duchess of Weimar.
The hereditary Prince of Weimar.
Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg.
The Duke of Saxe-Gotha.
The Duke of Oldenburg.
Prince William of Prussia.
The Prince of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
The Prince of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
The Prince of Anhalt-Dessau.
The Prince of Waldeck.
The Prince of Laleyen.
The Prince of Reuss.
The Prince of Ebersdorff .
The Prince of Gera.
The Prince of Schleitz.
The Princess de la Tour and Taxis.
The Prince of Salm-Dyck, aide-de-camp of
the King of Wiirtemberg.
The Prince of Hohenlohe-Kirkberg, idem.
The Prince of Salm-Sahn.
The Prince of Schaumburg.
The Prince of Bernburg.
The Prince of Isemburg.
The Prince of Rudolstadt.
The Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.
Duke William of Bavaria.
The Duchess of Hildburghausen.
The Countess of Truxes.
The Count and Countess of Bochols.
The Count of Mongellaz.
The Count of Wiirtemberg.
The Count of Reuss.
The Baron Vincent.
The Duke of Mondragone.
The Duke of Birkenfeld.
The Count of Goerliz, grand equerry of
the King of Wiirtemberg.
The Count of Taube, prime minister, idem.
The Count de Dille, aide-de-camp, idem,etc.
DEPARTURE FROM ERFURT. 145
The day of his departure the Emperor gave an audi-
ence, after his toilet, to Baron Vincent, envoy extraordinary
of Austria, and sent by him a letter to his sovereign. At
eleven o'clock the Emperor of Russia came to his Majesty,
who received him, and reconducted him to his residence
with great ceremony; and soon after his Majesty repaired
to the Russian palace, followed by his whole suite. After
mutual compliments they entered the carriage together, and
did not part till they reached the spot on the road from
Weimar where they had met on their arrival. There
they embraced each other affectionately and separated ;
and the 18th of October, at half-past nine in the evening,
the Emperor was at Saint-Cloud, having made the whole
trip incognito.
146 UECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER XIII.
Return to Saint-Cloud. — Departure for Bayonne. — Fears of the Empress
Josephine. — Mysterious sachet worn on the campaign by Napoleon. —
Sadness of Constant. — Presentiment. — Arrival at Vittoria. — The capture
of Burgos. — Bivouac of the grenadiers of the old guard. — On the march
to Madrid. — Passage of the Somo Sierra. — Arrival before Madrid. —
The Emperor at the residence of the mother of the Duke of Infantado.
— Capture of Madrid. — The Spaniards' respect for loyalty. — The Mar-
quis" of Saint-Simon condemned to death, and pardoned by the Emperor.
— King Joseph re-enters Madrid. — Adventure with a beautiful Spanish
actress. — Napoleon's dislike to perfumes. — Sudden headache. — The
young actress abruptly dismissed by the Emperor. — Misery of the sol-
diers.— The abbess of the convent of Tordesillas. — Arrival at Vallado-
lid. — Assassinations by Dominican friars. — Hubert, the Emperor's valet
de chambre, attacked by monks. — The monks forced to appear before the
Emperor. — Excessive anger. — Complaint made of Constant by Grand
Marshal Duroc. — Constant's distress. — Kindness and justice of the Em-
peror. — Reconciliation. — Grand Marshal Duroc's kind feelings toward
Constant. — Constant's illness at Valladolid. — The fever conquered. —
The return to Paris. — Disgrace of Prince Talleyrand.
His Majesty remained only ten days at Saint>Cloud,
passed two or three of these in Paris at the opening of the
session of the Corps Legislatif, and at noon on the 29th
set out a second time for Bayonne.
The Empress, who to her great chagrin could not
accompany the Emperor, sent for me on the morning of
his departure, and renewed in most touching accents the
same recommendations which she made on all his journeys,
for the character of the Spaniards made her timid and
fearful as to his safety.
Their parting was sad and painful ; for the Empress was
ANXIETY OF JOSEPHINE. 147
exceedingly anxious to accompany him, and the Emperor
had the greatest difficulty in satisfying her, and making
her understand that this was impossible. Just as he was
setting out he returned to his dressing-room a moment,
and told me to unbutton his coat and vest; and I saw the
Emperor pass around his neck between his vest and shirt a
black silk ribbon on which was hung a kind of little bag
about the size of a large hazel-nut, covered with black silk.
Though I did not then know what this bag contained, when
he returned to Paris he gave it to me to keep ; and I found
that this bag had a pleasant feeling, as under the silk cover-
ing was another of skin. I shall hereafter tell for what
purpose the Emperor wore this bag.
I set out with a sad heart. The recommendations of
her Majesty the Empress, and fears which I could not throw
off, added to the fatigue of these repeated journeys, all
conspired to produce feelings of intense sadness, which
was reflected on almost all the countenances of the Imperial
household; while the officers said among themselves that
the combats in the North were trifling compared with those
which awaited us in Spain.
We arrived on the 3d of November at the chateau of
Marrac, and four days after were at Vittoria in the midst of
the French army, where the Emperor found his brother and
a few grandees of Spain who had not yet deserted liis cause.
The arrival of his Majesty electrified the troops ; and a
part of the enthusiasm manifested, a very small part it is
true, penetrated into the heart of the king, and somewhat
renewed his courage. They set out almost immediately, in
order to at once establish themselves temporarily at Bur-
gos, which had been seized by main force and pillaged in a
148 BECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
few hours, since the inhabitants had abandoned it, and left
to the garrison the task of stopping the French as long as
possible.
The Emperor occupied the archiepiscopal palace, a mag-
nificent building situated in a large square on which the
grenadiers of the Imperial Guard bivouacked. This bivouac
presented a singular scene. Immense kettles, which had
been found in the convents, hung, full of mutton, poultry,
rabbits, etc., above a fire which was replenished from time
to time with furniture, guitars, or mandolins, and around
which grenadiers, with pipes in their mouths, were gravely
seated in gilded chairs covered with crimson damask, while
they intently watched the kettles as they simmered, and
communicated to each other their conjectures on the cam-
paign which had just opened.
The Emperor remained ten or twelve days at Burgos,
and then gave orders to march on Madrid, which place
could have been reached by way of Valladolid, and the
road was indeed safer and better ; but the Emperor wished
to seize the Pass of Somo-Sierra, an imposing position with
natural fortifications which had always been regarded as
impregnable. This pass, between two mountain peaks, de-
fended the capital, and was guarded by twelve thousand
insurgents, and twelve pieces of cannon placed so advanta-
geously that they could do as much injury as thirty or
forty elsewhere, and were, in fact, a sufficient obstacle to
delay even the most formidable army ; but who could then
oppose any hindrance to the march of the Emperor ?
On the evening of the 29th of November we arrived
within three leagues of this formidable defile, at a village
called Basaguillas ; and though the weather was veiy cold,
AT MADRID. 149
the Emperor did not lie down, but passed the night in his
tent, writing, wrapped in the pelisse which the Emperor
Alexander had given him. About three o'clock in the
morning he came to warm himself by the bivouac fire
where I had seated myself, as I could no longer endure the
cold and dampness of a cellar which had been assigned as
my lodging, and where my bed was only a few handfuls
of straw, filled with manure.
At eight o'clock in the morning the position was at-
tacked and carried, and the next day we arrived before
Madrid.
The Emperor established his headquarters at the cha-
teau of Champ-Martin, a pleasure house situated a quarter
of a league from the town, and belonging to the mother of
the Duke of Infantado ; and the army camped around this
house. The day after our arrival, the owner came in tears
to entreat of his Majesty a revocation of the fatal decree
which put her son outside the protection of the law; the
Emperor did all he could to reassure her, but he could
promise her nothing, as the order was general.
We had some trouble in capturing this town : in the
first place, because his Majesty recommended the greatest
moderation in making the attack, not wishing, as he said,
to present to his brother a burned-up city ; in the second
place, because the Grand Duke of Berg during his stay at
Madrid had fortified the palace of Retiro, and the Span-
ish insurgents had intrenched themselves there, and de-
fended it most courageously. The town had no other
defense, and was surrounded only by an old wall, almost
exactly similar to that of Paris, consequently at the end of
three days it was taken ; but the Emperor preferred not to
150 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
enter, and still resided at Champ-Martin, with the excep-
tion of one day when he came incognito and in disguise,
to visit the queen's palace and the principal districts.
One striking peculiarity of the Spaniards is the respect
they have always shown for everything relating to royalty,
whether they regard it as legitimate or not. When King
Joseph left Madrid the palace was closed, and the govern-
ment established itself in a passably good building which
had been used as the post-office. From this time no one
entered the palace except the servants, who had orders to
clean it from time to time; not a piece of furniture even,
not a book, was moved. The portrait of Napoleon on Mont
St. Bernard, David's masterpiece, remained hanging in the
grand reception hall, and the queen's portrait opposite,
exactly as the king had placed them ; and even the cel-
lars were religiously respected. The apartments of King
Charles had also remained untouched, and not one of the
watches in his immense collection had been removed.
The act of clemency which his Majesty showed toward
the Marquis of Saint-Simon, a grandee of Spain, marked in
an especial manner the entrance of the French troops into
Madrid. The Marquis of Saint-Simon, a French emigrant,
had been in the service of Spain since the emigration, and
had the command of a part of the capital. The post which
he defended was exactly in front of that which the Em-
peror commanded at the gates of Madrid, and he had held
out long after all the other leaders had surrendered.
The Emperor, impatient at being so long withstood at
this point, gave orders to make a still more vigorous charge ;
and in this the marquis was taken prisoner. In his ex-
treme anger the Emperor sent him to be tried before a
IN SPAIN. 151
military commission, who ordered him to be shot ; and this
order was on the point of being executed, when Mademoi-
selle de Saint-Simon, a charming young person, threw her-
self at his Majesty's feet, and her father's pardon was
quickly granted.
The king immediately re-entered his capital ; and with
him returned the noble families of Madrid, who had with-
drawn from the stirring scenes enacted at the center of
the insurrection ; and soon balls, fetes, festivities, and plays
were resumed as of yore.
The Emperor left Champ-Martin on the 2 2d of Decem-
ber, and directed his march towards Astorga, with the
intention of meeting the English, who had just landed at
Corunna ; but dispatches sent to Astorga by a courier from
Paris decided him to return to France, and he consequently
gave orders to set out for Valladolid.
We found the road from Benavente to Astorga covered
with corpses, slain horses, artillery carriages, and brokeu
wagons, and at every step met detachments of soldiers
with torn clothing, without shoes, and, indeed, in a most
deplorable condition. These unfortunates were all fleeing
towards Astorga, which they regarded as a port of safety,
but which soon could not contain them all. It was terrible
weather, the snow falling so fast that it was almost blind-
ing; and, added to this, I was ill, and suffered greatly
during this painful journey.
The Emperor while at Tordesillas had established his
headquarters in the buildings outside the convent of Saint-
Claire, and the abbess of this convent was presented to his
Majesty. She was then more than sixty-five years old, and
from the age of ten years had never left this place. Her
152 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
intelligent and refined conversation made a most agreeable
impression on the Emperor, who inquired what were her
wishes, and granted each one.
We arrived at Valladolid the 6th of January, 1809, and
found it in a state of great disorder. Two or three days
after our arrival, a cavalry officer was assassinated by Do-
minican monks; and as Hubert, one of our comrades, was
passing in the evening through a secluded street, three
men threw themselves on him and wounded him severely ;
and he would doubtless have been killed if the grenadiers
of the guard had not hastened to his assistance, and deliv-
ered him from their hands. It was the monks again. At
length the Emperor, much incensed, gave orders that the
convent of the Dominicans should be searched ; and in a
well was found the corpse of the aforesaid officer, in the
midst of a considerable mass of bones, and the convent
was immediately suppressed by his Majesty's orders ; he
even thought at one time of issuing the same rigorous
orders against all the convents of the city. He took time
for reflection, however, and contented himself by appointing
an audience, at which all the monks of Valladolid were to
appear before him. On the appointed day they came ; not
all, however, but deputations from each convent, Avho pros-
trated themselves at the Emperor's feet, while he showered
reproaches upon them, called them assassins and brigands,
and said they all deserved to be hung. These poor men
listened in silence and humility to the terrible language
of the irritated conqueror whom their patience alone could
appease ; and finally, the Emperor's anger having exhausted
itself, he grew calmer, and at last, struck by the reflection
that it was hardly just to heap abuse on men thus prostrate
AT VALLALOLID. 153
on their knees and uttering not a word in their own defense,
he left the group of officers who surrounded him, and ad-
vanced into the midst of the monks, making them a sign to
rise from their supplicating posture ; and as these good men
obeyed him, they kissed the skirts of his coat, and pressed
around him with an eagerness most alarming to the per-
sons of his Majesty's suite ; for had there been among these
devotees any Dominican, nothing surely could have been
easier than an assassination.
During the Emperor's stay at Valladolid, I had with
the grand marshal a disagreement of which I retain most
vivid recollections, as also of the Emperor's intervention
wherein he displayed both justice and good- will towards
me. These are the facts of the case : one morning the
Duke de Frioul, encountering me in his Majesty's apart-
ments, inquired in a very brusque tone (he was very much
excited) if I had ordered the carriage to be ready, to which
I replied in a most respectful manner that they were always
ready. Three times the duke repeated the same question,
raising his voice still more each time ; and three times I
made him the same reply, always in the same respectful
manner. "Oh, you fool! " said he at last, "you do not
understand, then." — u That arises evidently, Monseigneur,
from your Excellency's imperfect explanations ! " Upon
which he explained that he was speaking of a new carnage
which had come from Paris that very day, a fact of which
I was entirely ignorant. I was on the point of explain-
ing this to his Excellency ; but without deigning to listen,
the grand marshal rushed out of the room exclaiming,
swearing, and addressing me in terms to which I was totally
unaccustomed. I followed him as far as his own room in
154 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
order to make an explanation ; but when he reached his
door he entered, and slammed it in my face.
In spite of all this I entered a few moments later; but
his Excellency had forbidden his valet de ehambre to intro-
duce me, saying that he had nothing to say to me, nor
to hear from me, all of which was repeated to me in a
very harsh and contemptuous manner.
Little accustomed to such experiences, and entirely un-
nerved, I went to the Emperor's room ; and when his Majesty
entered I was still so agitated that my face was wet with
tears. His Majesty wished to know what had happened,
and I related to him the attack which had just been made
upon me by the grand marshal. " You are very foolish
to cry," said the Emperor ; " calm yourself, and say to the
grand marshal that I wish to speak to him."
His Excellency came at once in response to the Emper-
or's invitation, and I announced him. " See," said he,
pointing to me, "see into what a state you have thrown
this fellow! What has he done to be thus treated?" The
grand marshal bowed without replying, but with a very
dissatisfied air; and the Emperor went on to say that
he should have given me his orders more clearly, and
that any one was excusable for not executing an order not
plainly given. Then turning toward me, his Majesty said,
" Monsieur Constant, you may be certain this will not occur
again."
This simple affair furnishes a reply to many false ac-
cusations against the Emperor. There was an immense
distance between the grand marshal of the palace and the
simple valet de ehambre of his Majesty, and yet the marshal
was reprimanded for a wrong done to the valet de ehambre.
JUSTICE OF THE EMPEROR. 155
The Emperor showed the utmost impartiality in metiug
out justice in his domestic affairs ; and never was the inte-
rior of a palace better governed than his, owing to the fact
that in his household he alone was master.
The grand marshal felt unkindly toward me for some-
time after ; but, as I have already said, he was an excellent
man, his bad humor soon passed away, and so completely,
that on my return to Paris he requested me to stand
for him at the baptism of the child of my father-in-law,
who had begged him to be its godfather; the godmother
was Josephine, who was kind enough to choose my wife
to represent her. M. le Duke de Frioul did things with as
much nobility and magnanimity as grace ; and afterwards
I am glad to be able to state in justice to Ms memory,
he eagerly seized every occasion to be useful to me, and to
make me forget the discomfort his temporary excitement
had caused me.
I fell ill at Valladolid with a violent fever a few
days before his Majesty's departure. On the day ap-
pointed for leaving, my illness was at its height ; and as
the Emperor feared that the journey might increase, or
at any rate prolong, my illness, he forbade my going, and
set out without me, recommending to the persons whom
he left at Valladolid to take care of my health. When
I had gotten somewhat better I was told that his Majesty
had left, whereupon I could no longer be controlled, and
against my physician's orders, and in spite of my feeble-
ness, in spite of everything, in fact, had myself placed in
a carriage and set out. This was wise ; for hardly had
I put Valladolid two leagues behind me, than I felt bet-
ter, and the fever left me. I arrived at Paris five or
156 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
six days after the Emperor, just after his Majesty had
appointed the Count Montesquiou grand chamberlain in
place of Prince Talleyrand, whom I met that very day,
and who seemed in no wise affected by this disgrace, —
perhaps he was consoled by the dignity of vice-grand elec-
tor which was bestowed on him in exchange.
RETURN TO PARIS. 157
CHAPTER XIV.
Arrival at Paris. — The Palace of Madrid and the Louvre. — The chateau of
Chambord intended for the Prince de Neuchatel. — Constant employment
of the Emperor. — The Emperor as a musical critic. — The Emperor's
falsetto voice and habit of humming. — The Marseillaise the signal for
departure. — The Emperor's gayety as he sets out on the Russian cam-
paign.— Crescentini and Madame Grassini. — Play of Cresceutini. —
Satisfaction and generosity of the Emperor. — Illness and death of Da-
zincourt. — Ingratitude of the public. — A word about Dazincourt. — The
Emperor's stay at the Elyse'e. — Marriage of the Duke of Castiglione.
— The Grand Duchess of Tuscany. — The chase at Ranibouillet. — The
Emperor's skill. — Talma. — Their Majesties' departure from Strasbourg.
— The Emperor passes the Rhine. — The Battle of Ratisbonne. — The
Emperor wounded. — Much alarm in the army. — The Emperor's endu-
rance. — The papers advised to be silent. — Orders of the Emperor before
each battle. — A Bavarian family saved by Constant. — The Emperor's
vexation. — M. Pfister becomes insane. — The Emperor's anxiety. — Con-
spiracy against the Emperor. — A million in diamonds. — Insult to the
bearer of a flag of truce. — The Emperor's moderation. — Letter of the
Prince de Neuchatel to the Archduke Maximilian. — Bombardment of
Vienna. — The life of Marie Louise protected by the Emperor. — Flight
of the Archduke Maximilian, and the taking of Vienna. — Stupidity of
the Austrians.
The Emperor arrived at Paris on the 23d of January,
and. passed the remainder of the winter there, with the
exception of a few days spent at Rambouillet and Saint-
Cloud.
On the very day of Ins arrival in Paris, although he
must have been much fatigued by an almost uninterrupted
ride from Valladolid, the Emperor visited the buildings of
the Louvre and the rue de Rivoli.
His mind was full of what he had seen at Madrid, and
158 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
repeated suggestions to M. Fontaine and the other archi-
tects showed plainly his desire to make the Louvre the
finest palace in the world. His Majesty then had a report
made him as to the chateau of Chambord, which he wished
to present to the Prince of Neuchatel. M. Fontaine found
that repairs sufficient to make this place a comfortable res-
idence would amount to 1,700,000 francs, as the build-
ings were in a state of decay, and it had hardly been
touched since the death of Marshal Saxe.
His Majesty passed the two months and a half of his
stay working in his cabinet, which he rarely left, and
always unwillingly ; his amusements being, as always, the
theater and concerts. He loved music passionately, espe-
cially Italian music, and like all great amateurs was hard
to please. He would have much liked to sing had he been
able, but he had no voice, though this did not prevent his
humming now and then pieces which struck his fancy; and
as these little reminiscences usually recurred to hini in the
mornings, he regaled me with them while he was being
dressed. The air that I have heard him thus mutilate most
frequently was that of The Marseillaise. The Emperor also
whistled sometimes, but very rarely; and the air, Malbrook
s'en va-t-en guerre,1 whistled by his Majesty was an unerr-
ing announcement to me of his approaching departure for
the army. I remember that he never whistled so much,
and was never so gay, as just before he set out for the
Russian campaign.
His Majesty's favorite singers were Crescentini 2 and Ma-
1 The Emperor is said to have hummed this air as he crossed the Nie-
men. — Tkans.
2 Girolamo Crescentini, born at Urbania, 1769 ; died 1846. In 1809 Napo-
leon appointed him first singer at his court. — Tbans.
CRESCENTINI. 159
dame Grassini. I saw Crescentini's debut at Paris in the
role of Romeo, in Romeo and Juliet. He came preceded
by a reputation as the first singer of Italy ; and this repu-
tation was found to be well deserved, notwithstanding all
the prejudices he had to overcome, for I remember well
the disparaging statements made concerning him before
his debut at the court theater. According to these self-
appointed connoisseurs, he was a bawler without taste,
without method, a maker of absurd trills, an unimpassioned
actor of little intelligence, and many other things besides.
He knew, when he appeared on the stage, how little dis-
posed in his favor his audience were, yet he showed not
the slightest embarrassment; this, and his noble, dignified
mien, agreeably surprised those who expected from what
they had been told to behold an awkward man with an
ungainly figure. A murmur of approbation ran through
the hall on his appearance ; and electrified by this welcome,
he gained all hearts from the first act. His movements
were full of grace and dignity ; he had a perfect knowledge
of the scene, modest gestures perfectly in harmony with the
dialogue, and a countenance on which all shades of passion
were depicted with the most astonishing accuracy; and all
these rare and precious qualities combined to give to the
enchanting accents of this artist a charm of which it is
impossible to give an idea.
At each scene the interest he inspired became more
marked, until in the third act the emotion and delisrht of
the spectators were carried almost to frenzy. In this act,
played almost solely by Crescentini, this admirable singer
communicated to the hearts of his audience all that is
touching and pathetic in a love expressed by means of
160 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
delicious melody, and by all that grief and despair can find
sublime in song.
The Emperor was enraptured, and sent Crescehtini a
considerable compensation, accompanied by most flattering
testimonials of the pleasure he had felt in hearing him.
On this day, as always when they played together
afterwards, Crescentini was admirably supported by Ma-
dame Grassini, a woman of superior talent, and who pos-
sessed the most astonishing voice ever heard in the theater.
She and Madame Barilli then divided the admiration of
the public.
The very evening or the day after the debut of Cres-
centini, the French stage suffered an irreparable loss in
the death of Dazincourt, only sixty years of age. The
illness of which he died had begun on his return from Er-
furt, and was long and painful ; and yet the public, to whom
this great comedian had so long given such pleasure, took
no notice of him after it was found his sickness was in-
curable and his death certain. Formerly when a highly
esteemed actor was kept from his place for some time by
illness (and who deserved more esteem than Dazincourt ? ),
the pit was accustomed to testify its regret by inquiring
every day as to the condition of the afflicted one, and at the
end of each representation the actor whose duty it was to
announce the play for the next day gave the audience news
of his comrade. This was not done for Dazincourt, and
the pit thus showed ingratitude to him.
I liked and esteemed sincerely Dazincourt, whose ac-
quaintance I had made several years before his death ; and
few men better deserved or so well knew how to gain es-
teem and affection. I will not speak of his genius, which
BAZIN COURT. 161
rendered him a worthy successor of Preville,1 whose pupil
and friend he was, for all his contemporaries remember
Figaro as played by Dazincourt; but I will speak of the
nobility of his character, of his generosity, and his well-
tested honor. It would seem that his birth and education
should have kept him from the theater, where circum-
stances alone placed him ; but he was able to protect him-
self against the seductions of his situation, and in the green-
room, and in the midst of domestic intrigues, remained a
man of good character and pure manners. He was wel-
comed in the best society, where he soon became a favorite
by his piquant sallies, as much as by liis good manners and
urbanity, for he amused without reminding that he was a
comedian.
At the end of February his Majesty went to stay
for some time at the palace of the Elysee ; and there I
think was signed the marriage contract of one of his best
lieutenants, Marshal Augereau, recently made Duke of
Castiglione, with Mademoiselle Bourlon de Chavanges, the
daughter of an old superior officer; and there also was
rendered the imperial decree which gave to the Princess
Eliza the grand duchy of Tuscany, with the titlo of grand
duchess.
About the middle of March, the Emperor passed several
days at Rambouillet ; there were held some exciting hunts,
in one of which his Majesty himself brought to bay and
killed a stag near the pool of Saint-Hubert. There was also
a ball and concert, in which appeared Crescentini, Mesdanies
Grassini, Barelli, and several celebrated virtuosos, and lastly
Talma recited.
1 Pierre Louis Pre'ville, a popular French comic actor, born in Paris, 1721 ;
died 1799. — Trans.
162 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
On the 13th of April, at four o'clock in the morning,
the Emperor having received news of another invasion of
Bavaria by the Austrians, set out for Strasburg with the
Empress, whom he left in that city; and on the 15th, at
eleven o'clock in the morning, he passed the Rhine at the
head of his army. The Empress did not long remain alone,
as the Queen of Holland and her sons, the Grand Duchess
of Baden and her husband, soon joined her.
The splendid campaign of 1809 at once began. It is
known how glorious it was, and that one of its least glorious
victories was the capture of Vienna.
At Ratisbon, on the 23d of April, the Emperor received
in his right foot a spent ball, which gave him quite a severe
bruise. I was with the service when several grenadiers
hastened to tell me that his Majesty was wounded, upon
which I hastened to him, and arrived while M. Yvan was
dressing the contusion. The Emperor's boot was cut open,
and laced up, and he remounted his horse immediately ; and,
though several of the generals insisted on his resting, he
only replied : " My friends, do you not know that it is
necessary for me to see everything ? " The enthusiasm of
the soldiers cannot be expressed when they learned that
their chief had been wounded, though his wound was not
dangerous. " The Emperor is exposed like us," they said ;
"he is not a coward, not he." The papers did not mention
this occurrence.
Before entering a battle, the Emperor always ordered
that, in case he was wounded, every possible measure
should be taken to conceal it from his troops. "Who
knows," said he, "what terrible confusion might be pro-
duced by such news? To my life is attached the des-
AT EATISBON. 163
tiny of a great Empire. Remember this, gentlemen ; and
if I am wounded, let no one know it, if possible. If I
am slain, try to win the battle without me ; there will be
time enough to tell it afterwards."
Two weeks after the capture of Ratisbon, I was in
advance of his Majesty on the road to Vienna, alone in a
carriage with an officer of the household, when we sud-
denly heard frightful screams in a house on the edge of
the road. I gave orders to stop at once, and we alighted ;
and, on entering the house, found several soldiers, or rather
stragglers, as there are in all armies, who, paying no atten-
tion to the alliance between France and Bavaria, were treat-
ing most cruelly a family which lived in this house, and
consisted of an old grandmother, a young man, three chil-
dren, and a young girl.
Our embroidered coats had a happy effect on these mad-
men, whom we threatened with the Emperor's anger ; and
we succeeded in driving them out of the house, and soon
after took our departure, overwhelmed with thanks. In the
evening I spoke to the Emperor of what I had done ; and
he approved highly, saying, "It cannot be helped. There
are always some cowardly fellows in the army ; and they are
the ones who do the mischief. A brave and good soldier
would blush to do such things ! "
I had occasion, in the beginning of these Memoirs, to
speak of the steward, M. Piister, one of his Majesty's most
faithful servants, and also one of those to whom his Majesty
was most attached. M. Pfister had followed him to Egypt,
and had faced countless dangers in his service. The day
of the battle of Landshut, which either preceded or fol-
lowed very closely the taking of Ratisbon this poor rnaa
164 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
became insane, rushed out of his tent, and concealed himself
in a wood near the field of battle, after taking off all his
clothing. At the end of a few hours his Majesty asked for
M. Pfister. He was sought for, and every one was ques-
tioned; but no one could tell what had become of him.
The Emperor, fearing that he might have been taken
prisoner, sent an orderly officer to the Austrians to recover
his steward, and propose an exchange; but the officer re-
turned, saying that the Austrians had not seen M. Pfister.
The Emperor, much disquieted, ordered a search to be
made in the neighborhood; and by this means the poor
fellow was discovered entirely naked, as I have said, cow-
ering behind a tree, in a frightful condition, his body torn
by thorns. He was brought back, and having become
perfectly quiet, was thought to be well, and resumed his
duties ; but a short time after our return to Paris he had
a new attack. The character of his malady was exceed-
ingly obscene ; and he presented himself before the Em-
press Josephine in such a state of disorder, and with such
indecent gestures, that it was necessary to take precautions
in regard to him. He was confided to the care of the wise
Doctor Esquirol, who, in spite of his great skill, could not
effect a cure. I went to see him often. He had no more
violent attacks ; but his brain was diseased, and though he
heard and understood perfectly, his replies were those of
a real madman. He nevef lost his devotion to the Em-
peror, spoke of him incessantly, and imagined himself on
duty near him. One day he told me with a most myste-
rious air that he wished to confide to me a terrible secret,
the plot of a conspiracy against his Majesty's life, hand>
inc me at the same time a note for his Majesty, with a
CAP TUBE OF VIENNA. 165
package of about twenty scraps of paper, which he had
scribbled off himself, and thought were the details of the
plot. Another time he handed me, for the Emperor, a
handful of little stones, which he called diamonds of great
value. " There is more than a million in what I hand
you," said he. The Emperor, whom I told of my visits,
was exceedingly touched by the continued monomania of
this poor unfortunate, whose every thought, every act,
related to his old master, and who died without regaining
his reason.
On the 10th of May, at nine o'clock in the morning, the
first line of defense of the Austrian capital was attacked
and taken by Marshal Oudinot ; 1 the faubourgs surrender-
ing at discretion. The Duke of Montebello then advanced
on the esplanade at the head of his division ; but the gates
having been closed, the garrison poured a frightful dis-
charge from the top of the ramparts, which fortunately
however killed only a very small number. The Duke of
Montebello summoned the garrison to surrender the town,
but the response of the Archduke Maximilian was that
he would defend Vienna with his last breath; which reply
was conveyed to the Emperor.
After taking counsel with his generals, his Majesty
charged Colonel Lagrange to bear a new demand to the
archduke ; but the poor colonel had hardly entered the
town than he was attacked by the infuriated populace.
General O'Reilly saved his life by having him carried away
by his soldiers : but the Archduke Maximilian, in order to
defy the Emperor still further, paraded in triumph in the
1 Oudinot was not made a marshal till the battle of Wagram, a few weeks
iter. — Trans.
166 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
midst of the national guard the individual who haa struck
the first blow at the bearer of the French summons. This
attempt, which had excited the indignation of many of the
Viennese themselves, did not change his Majesty's inten-
tions, as he wished to carry his moderation and kindness
as far as possible ; and he wrote to the archduke by the
Prince of Neuchatel the following letter, a copy of which
accidentally fell into my hands : —
" The Prince de Neuchatel to his Highness the Archduke Maximil-
ian,1 commanding the town of Vienna, —
" His Majesty the Emperor and King desires to spare this large and
worthy population the calamities with which it is threatened, and
charges me to represent to your Highness, that if he continues the
attempt to defend this place, it will cause the destruction of one of
the finest cities of Europe. In every country where he has waged
war, my sovereign has manifested his anxiety to avoid the disasters
winch armies bring on the population. Your Highness must be per-
suaded that his Majesty is much grieved to see this town, which he
has the glory of having already saved, on the point of being destroyed.
Nevertheless, contrary to the established usage of fortresses, your High-
ness has fired your cannon from the city walls, and these cannon may
kill, not an enemy of your sovereign, but the wives or children of his
most devoted servants. If your Highness prolongs the attempt to
defend the place, his Majesty will be compelled to begin his prepara-
tions for attack ; and the ruin of this immense capital will be consum-
mated in thirty-six hours, by the shells and bombs from our batteries,
as the outskirts of the town will be destroyed by the effect of yours.
His Majesty does not doubt that these considerations will influence
your Highness to renounce a determination which will only delay for
a short while the capture of the place. H, however, your Highness
has decided not to pursue a course which will save the town from
destruction, its population plunged by your fault into such terrible
misfortunes will become, instead of faithful subjects, the enemies of
your house."
1 Brother of the Emperor of Austria. — Trans.
CAPTURE OF VIENNA. 107
This letter did not deter the grand duke from persist-
ing in his defense ; and this obstinacy exasperated the
Emperor to such a degree that he at last gave orders to
place two batteries in position, and within an hour camion-
balls and shells rained upon the town. The inhabitants,
with true German indifference, assembled on the hillsides
to watch the effect of the fires of attack and defense, and
appeared much interested in the sight. A few cannon-
balls had already fallen in the court of the Imperial palace
when a flag of truce came out of the town to announce
that the Archduchess Marie Louise had been unable to
accompany her father, and was ill in the palace, and con-
sequently exposed to danger from the artillery; and the
Emperor immediately gave orders to change the direction
of the firing so that the bombs and balls would pass over
the palace. The archduke did not long hold out against
such a sharp and energetic attack, but fled, abandoning
Vienna to the conquerors.
On the 12th of May the Emperor made his entrance
into Vienna, one month after the occupation of Munich by
the Austrians. This circumstance made a deep impression,
and did much to foster the superstitious ideas which many
of the troops held in regard to the person of their chief.
"See," said one, "he needed only the time necessary for
the journey. That man must be a god." — " He is a devil
rather," said the Austrians, whose stupefaction was inde-
scribable. They had reached a point when many allowed
the arms to be taken out of their hands without making
the least resistance, or without even attempting to fly, so
deep was their conviction that the Emperor and his guard
were not men, and that sooner or later they must fall into
the power of these supernatural enemies.
168 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER XV.
the Emperor at Schoenbrunn. —Description of this residence. — The Em-
peror's apartments. — Inconvenience of the stoves. — The winged chariot
of Maria Theresa. — The parks of Versailles, Malmaison, and Schoen-
brunn.— The Gloriette. — The ruins. — The menagerie and kiosk of
Maria Theresa. — Reviews held by the Emperor. — Manner in which the
Emperor'made promotions. — Gratuities paid by the Emperor. — An act
of heroism. — Kindness of the Emperor. — A visit with bags, account
books, and arms. — Unexpected orders. — A young officer's self-possession.
— "Wagons inspected by the Emperor.
The Emperor did not remain in Vienna, but established
his headquarters at the chateau of Schoenbrunn, an imperial
residence situated about half a league from the town ; and
the ground in front of the chateau was arranged for the
encampment of the guard. The chateau of Schoenbrunn,
erected by the Empress Maria Theresa in 1754, and situ-
ated in a commanding position, is built in a very irregular,
and defective, but at the same time majestic, style of archi-
tecture. In order to reach it, there has been thrown over
the little river, la Vienne, a broad and well-constructed
bridge, ornamented with four stone sphinxes ; and in front
of the bridge is a large iron gate, opening on an immense
court, in which seven or eight thousand men could be
drilled. This court is square, surrounded by covered gal-
leries, and ornamented with two large basins with marble
statues; and on each side of the gateway are two large
obelisks in rose-colored stone, surmounted by eagles of
gilded lead.
SCHOENBR UNN. 1 G 9
Schoenbrunn, in German, signifies beautiful fountain ; 1
and this name comes from a clear and limpid spring, which
rises in a grove in the park, on a slight elevation, around
which has been built a little pavilion, carved on the inside
to imitate stalactites. In this pavilion lies a sleeping
Naiad, holding in her hand a shell, from which the water
gushes and falls into a marble basin. This is a delicious
retreat in summer.
We can speak only in terms of admiration regarding
the interior of the palace, the furniture of winch was
handsome and of an original and elegant style. The Em-
peror's sleeping-room, the only part of the building in
which there was a fireplace, was ornamented with wain-
scoting in Chinese lacquer work, then very old, though the
painting and gilding were still fresh, and the cabinet was
decorated like the bedroom ; and all the apartments, except
this, were warmed in winter by immense stoves, which
greatly injured the effect of the interior architecture. Be-
tween the study and the Emperor's room was a very curi-
ous machine, called the flifiit;! <-Iniriot, a land of mechanical
contrivance, which had been made for the Empress Maria
Theresa, and was used in conveying her from one story to
the other, so that she might not be obliged to ascend and
descend staircases like the rest of the world. This machine
was operated by means of cords, pulleys, and weights, like
those at the theater.2
The beautiful grove which serves as park and garden
to the palace of Schoenbrunn is much too small to belong
1 It is the equivalent of the French Fontainebleau; i.e., Fontaine-belle-
eau. — Trans.
- This Dovelty of that clay is simply the elevator now seen in every hotel.
— Trans.
170 BECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
to an imperial residence ; but, on the other hand, it would
be hard to find one more beautiful or better arranged.
The park of Versailles is grander and more imposing; but
it has not the picturesque irregularity, the fantastic and
unexpected beauties, of the park of Schoenbrunn, and
more closely resembles the park at Malmaison. In front
of the interior facade of the palace was a magnificent lawn,
sloping down to a broad lake, decorated with a group of
statuary representing the triumph of Neptune. This group
is very fine ; but French amateurs (every Frenchman, as
you are aware, desires to be considered a connoisseur)
insisted that the women were more Austrian than Grecian,
and that they did not possess the slender grace belonging
to antique forms ; and, for my part, I must confess that
these statues did not appear to me very remarkable.
At the end of the grand avenue, and bounding the
horizon, rose a hill, which overlooked the park, and was
crowned by a handsome building, which bore the name of
la Grloriette. This building was a circular gallery, inclosed
with glass, supported by a charming colonnade, between
the arches of which hung various trophies. On entering
the avenue from the direction of Vienna, la Grloriette rose
at the farther end, seeming almost to form a part of the
palace ; and the effect was very fine.
What the Austrians especially admired in the palace
of Schoenbrunn was a grove, containing what they called
the Ruins, and a lake with a fountain springing from the
midst, and several small cascades flowing from it ; by this
lake were the ruins of an aqueduct and a temple, fallen
vases, tombs, broken bas-reliefs, statues without heads, arms,
or limbs, while limbs, arms, and heads lay thickly scattered
SCHOENBR UNN. 171
around; columns mutilated and half-buried, others stand-
ing and supporting the remains of pediments and entabla-
tures ; all combining to form a scene of beautiful disorder,
and representing a genuine ancient ruin when viewed from
a short distance. Viewed more closely, it is quite another
thing : the hand of the modern sculptor is seen ; it is evi-
dent that all these fragments are made from the same kind
of stone ; and the weeds which grow in the hollows of these
columns appear what they really are, that is to say, made
of stone, and painted to imitate verdure.
But if the productions of art scattered through the
park of Schoenbrunn were not all irreproachable, those of
nature fully made up the deficiency. What magnificent
trees ! What thick hedges ! What dense and refreshing
shade ! The avenues were remarkably high and broad,
and bordered with trees, which formed a vault impene-
trable to the sun, while the eye lost itself in their many
windings ; from these other smaller walks diverged, where
fresh surprises were in store at every step. At the end of
the broadest of these was placed the menagerie, which was
one of the most extensive and varied in Europe, and its
construction, which was very ingenious, might well serve
as a model; it was shaped like a star, and in the round
center of this star had been erected a small but very ele-
gant kiosk, placed there by the Empress Maria Theresa
as a resting-place for herself, and from which the whole
menagerie could be viewed at leisure.
Each point of this star formed a separate garden, where
there could be seen elephants, buffaloes, camels, drome-
daries, stags, and kangaroos grazing; handsome and sub-
stantial cages held tigers, bears, leopards, lions, hyenas,
172 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
etc. ; and swans and rare aquatic birds and amphibious
animals sported in basins surrounded by iron gratings. In
this menagerie I specially remarked a very extraordinary
animal, which his Majesty had ordered brought to France,
but which had died the day before it was to have started.
This animal was from Poland, and was called a curus; it
was a kind of ox, though much larger than an ordinary
ox, with a mane like a lion, horns rather short and some-
what curved, and enormously large at the base.
Every morning, at six o'clock, the drums beat, and two
or three hours after the troops were ordered to parade in the
court of honor; and at precisely ten o'clock his Majesty
descended, and put himself at the head of his generals.
It is impossible to give an idea of these parades, which
in no particular resembled reviews in Paris. The Emperor,
during these reviews, investigated the smallest details, and
examined the soldiers one by one, so to speak, looked into
the eyes of each to see whether there was pleasure or work
in his head, questioned the officers, sometimes also the sol-
diers themselves ; and it was usually on these occasions that
the Emperor made his promotions. During one of these
reviews, if he asked a colonel who was the bravest officer
in his regiment, there was no hesitation in his answer; and
it was always prompt, for he knew that the Emperor was
already well informed on this point. After the colonel
had replied, he addressed himself to all the other officers,
saying, " Who is the bravest among you ? " — " Sire, it is
such an one ; " and the two answers were almost always the
same. " Then," said the Emperor, "I make him a baron;
and I reward in him, not only his own personal bravery,
but that of the corps of which he forms a part. He does
REVIEWS AT SCUOENBRUNN. 173
not owe this favor to me alone, but also to the esteem of
his comrades." It was the same case with the soldiers ; and
those most distinguished for courage or good conduct were
promoted or received rewards, and sometimes pensions, the
Emperor giving one of twelve hundred francs to a soldier,
who, on his first campaign, had passed through the enemy's
squadron, bearing on his shoulders his wounded general,
protecting him as he would his own father.
On these reviews the Emperor could be seen personally
inspecting the haversacks of the soldiers, examining their
certificates, or taking a gun from the shoulders of a young
man who was weak, pale, and suffering, and saying to him,
in a sympathetic tone, " That is too heavy for you." He
often drilled them himself ; and when he did not, the drill-
ing was directed by Generals Dorsenne, Curial, or Mouton.1
Sometimes he was seized with a sudden whim ; for ex-
ample, one morning, after reviewing a regiment of the
Confederation, he turned to the ordnance officers, and ad-
dressing Prince Salm, who was among them, remarked :
" M. de Salm, the soldiers ought to get acquainted with
you ; approach, and order them to make a charge in twelve
movements." The young prince turned crimson, without
being disconcerted, however, bowed, and drawing his sword
most gracefully, executed the orders of the Emperor with
an ease and precision which charmed liim.
Another day, as the engineer corps passed with about
forty wagons, the Emperor cried, "Halt! " and pointing out
a wagon to General Bertrand, ordered him to summon one
1 George Mouton, Count de Lobau, born at Pfalzburg, 1770; entered tbe
army, 1792; aide-de-camp to Joubert 1798, and to Napoleon 1805; general of
division, 1807; created Count do Lobau, 1809. Taken prisoner at Waterloo,
where be commanded an army corps. Marshal, 1831, died 1S38. — Trans.
174 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
of the officers. " What does that wagon contain? " — " Sire,
bolts, bags of nails, ropes, hatchets, and saws." — "How
much of each ? " The officer gave the exact account. His
Majesty, to verify this report, had the wagon emptied,
counted the pieces, and found the number correct ; and in
order to assure himself that nothing was left in the wagon,
climbed up into it by means of the wheel, holding on to
the spokes. There was a murmur of approbation and cries
of joy all along the line. " Bravo ! " they said ; " well and
good! that is the way to make sure of not being deceived."
All these things conspired to make the soldiers adore the
Emperor.
FEtutnw STABS. 175
CHAPTER XVI.
Attempt against the life of Napoleon. — Happy sagacity of General Rapp.
— Arrest of Fre'de'ric Stabs. — The fanatical student. — Incredible per-
severance. — The Duke of Rovigo at the residence of the Emperor. —
Stabs questioned by the Emperor. — The Emperor's pity. — Immobility
of Stabs. — Stabs and M. Corvisart. — Pardon twice offered and refused.
— Emotion of his Majesty. — Condemnation of Stabs. — Fasting four
days. — Last words of Stabs.
At one of the reviews which I have just described, and
which usually attracted a crowd of curious people from
Vienna and its suburbs, the Emperor came near being as-
sassinated. It was on the 13th of October, his Majesty-
had just alighted from his horse, and was crossing the court
on foot with the Prince de Neuchatel and General Rapp be-
side him, when a young man with a passably good coun-
tenance pushed his way rudely through the crowd, and
asked in bad French if he could speak to the Emperor.
His Majesty received him kindly, but not understanding
his language, asked General Rapp to see what the young
man wanted, and the general asked him a few questions ;
and not satisfied apparently with his answers, ordered the
police-officer on duty to remove him. A sub-officer con-
ducted the young man out of the circle formed by the staff,
and drove him back into the crowd. This circumstance
had been forgotten, when suddenly the Emperor, on turn-
ing, found again near him the pretended suppliant, who
had returned holding his right hand in his breast, as if
176 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
to draw a petition from the pocket of his coat. General
Rapp seized the man by the arm, and said to him, " Mon-
sieur, you have already been ordered away; what do you
want?'- As he was about to retire a second time the gen-
eral, thinking his appearance suspicious, gave orders to the
police-officer to arrest him, and he accordingly made a sign
to his subalterns. One of them seizing him by the collar
shook him slightly, when his coat became partly unbut-
toned, and something fell out resembling a package of
papers ; on examination it was found to be a large carving-
knife, with several folds of gray paper wrapped around it
as a sheath ; thereupon he was conducted to General Savary.
This young man was a student, and the son of a Protes-
tant minister of Naumbourg ; he was called Frederic Stabs,
and was about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a pal-
lid face and effeminate features. He did not deny for an
instant that it was his intention to kill the Emperor ; but
on the contrary boasted of it, and expressed his intense re-
gret that circumstances had prevented the accomplishment
of his design.
He had left his father's house on a horse which the
want of money had compelled him to sell on the way, and
none of his relatives or friends had any knowledge of his
plan. The day after his departure he had written to his
father that he need not be anxious about him nor the horse ;
that he had long since promised some one to visit Vienna,
and his family would soon hear of him with pride. He
had arrived at Vienna only two days before, and had occu-
pied himself first in obtaining information as to the Em-
peror's habits, and finding that he held a review every
morning in the court of the chateau, had been there once
FREDERIC STABS. 177
in order to acquaint himself with the locality. The next
day he had undertaken to make the attack, and had been
arrested.
The Duke of Rovigo, after questioning Stabs, sought
the Emperor, who had returned to his apartments, and
acquainted him with the danger he had just escaped.
The Emperor at first shrugged his shoulders, but having
been shown the knife which had been taken from Stabs,
said, " Ah, ha ! send for the young man ; I should like very-
much to talk with him." The duke went out, and returned
in a few moments with Stabs. When the latter entered,
the Emperor made a gesture of pity, and said to the Prince
de Neuchatel, " Why, really, he is nothing more than a
child! " An interpreter was summoned and the interroga-
tion begun.
His Majesty first asked the assassin if he had seen him
anywhere before this. "Yes; I saw you,*' replied Stabbs,
"at Erfurt last year." — " It seems that a crime is nothing
in your eyes. Why did you wish to kill me ? " — "To kill
you is not a crime ; on the contrary, it is the duty of every
good German. I wished to kill you because you are the
oppressor of Germany." — " It is not I who commenced the
war; it is your nation. Whose picture is this?" (the Em-
peror held in his hands the picture of a woman that had
been found on Stabs). "It is that of my best friend, my
father's adopted daughter." — "What! and you are an
assassin! and have no fear of afflicting and destroying
beings who are so dear to you?" — "I wished to do my
duty, and nothing could have deterred me from it." — " But
how would you have succeeded in striking me ? " — "I
would first have asked you if we were soon to have
178 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
peace ; and if you had answered no, I should have stabbed
you." — "He is mad!" said the Emperor; "he is evi-
dently mad ! And how could you have hoped to escape,
after you had struck me thus in the midst of my soldiers ?
— "I knew well to what I was exposing myself, and am
astonished to be still alive." This boldness made such a
deep impression on the Emperor that he remained silent
for several moments, intently regarding Stabs, who remained
entirely unmoved under this scrutiny. Then the Emperor
continued, " The one you love will be much distressed."
— " Oh, she will no doubt be distressed because I did not
succeed, for she hates you at least as much as I hate you
myself." — " Suppose I pardoned you ? " — " You would be
wrong, for I would again try to kill you." The Emperor
summoned M. Corvisart and said to him, " This young man
is either sick or insane, it cannot be otherwise." — "I am
neither the one nor the other," replied the assassin quickly.
M. Corvisart felt Stabs's pulse. " This gentleman is well,"
he said. "I have already told you so," replied Stabs with
a triumphant air. "Well, doctor," said his Majesty, "this
young man who is in such good health has traveled a
hundred miles to assassinate me."
Notwithstanding this declaration of the physician and
the avowal of Stabs, the Emperor, touched by the coolness
and assurance of the unfortunate fellow, again offered him
his pardon, upon the sole condition of expressing some re-
pentance for his crime ; but as Stabs again asserted that
his only regret was that he had not succeeded in his
undertaking, the Emperor reluctantly gave him up to pun-
ishment.
After he was conducted to prison, as he still persisted
DEATH OF STABS. 179
in his assertions, he was immediately brought before a
military commission, which condemned him to death. He
did not undergo his punishment till the 17th ; and after
the 13 th, the day on which he was arrested, took no
food, saying that he would have strength enough to go to
his death. The Emperor had ordered that the execution
should be delayed as long as possible, in the hope that
sooner or later Stabs would repent; but he remained un-
shaken. As he was being conducted to the place where he
was to be shot, some one having told him that peace had
just been concluded, he cried in a loud voice, " Long live
liberty ! Long live Germany ! " These were his last
words.
180 BECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER XVII.
Gallant adventures of the Emperor at Schoenbrunn. — Promenade on the
Prater. — Exclamation of a young German widow. — The Emperor's con-
descension.— Rapid conquest. — Madame follows the Emperor to
Bavaria. — Her death at Paris. — The young enthusiast. — Propositions
ardently received. — A young girl endowed by his Majesty. — The Em-
peror's supper. — Roustan's hunger. — Demand thoughtlessly granted. —
Constant's embarrassment. — The ruse discovered. — The Emperor sup-
ping on what Roustan had left.
During his stay at Schoenbrunn the Emperor was con-
stantly engaged in gallant adventures. He was one day
promenading on the Prater in Vienna, with a very numer-
ous suite (the Prater is a handsome promenade situated in
the Faubourg Leopold), when a young German, widow of
a rich merchant, saw him, and exclaimed involuntarily to
the ladies promenading with her, "It is he ! " This excla-
mation was overheard by his Majesty, who stopped short,
and bowed to the ladies with a smile, while the one who
had spoken blushed crimson; the Emperor comprehended
this unequivocal sign, looked at her steadfastly, and then
continued his walk.
For sovereigns there are neither long attacks nor great
difficulties, and this new conquest of his Majesty was not
less rapid than the others. In order not to be separated
from her illustrious lover, Madame B followed the
army to Bavaria, and afterwards came to him at Paris,
where she died in 1812.
His Majesty's attention was attracted by a charming
AT SCOHENBBUNN. 181
young person one morning in the suburbs of Schoenbrunn ;
and some one was ordered to see this young lady, and
arrange for a rendezvous at the chateau the following even-
ing. Fortune favored his Majesty on this occasion. The
eclat of so illustrious a name, and the renown of his vic-
tories, had produced a deep impression on the mind of the
young girl, and had disposed her to listen favorably to the
propositions made to her. She therefore eagerly consented
to meet him at the chateau ; and at the appointed hour the
person of whom I have spoken came for her, and I received
her on her arrival, and introduced her to his Majesty. She
did not speak French, but she knew Italian well, and it
was consequently easy for the Emperor to converse with
her ; and he soon learned with astonishment that this
charming young lady belonged to a very honorable family
of Vienna, and that in coming to him that evening she
was inspired alone by a desire to express to him her sin-
cere admiration. The Emperor respected the innocence of
the young girl, had her reconducted to her parents' resi-
dence, and gave orders that a marriage should be arranged
for her, and that it should be rendered more advantageous
by means of a considerable dowry.
At Schoenbrunn, as at Paris, his Majesty dined habitu-
ally at six o'clock ; but since he worked sometimes veiy far
into the night, care was taken to prepare every evening a
light supper, which was placed in a little locked basket
covered with oil-cloth. There were two keys to this bas-
ket, one of which the steward kept, and I the other. The
care of this basket belonged to me alone ; and as his
Majesty was extremely busy, he hardly ever asked for
supper. One evening Roustan, who had been busily occu-
182 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
pied all day in his master's service, was in a little room
next to the Emperor's, and meeting me just after I had
assisted in putting his Majesty to bed, said to me in his
bad French, looking at the basket with an envious eye,
" I could eat a chicken wing myself ; I am very hungry."
I refused at first ; but finally, as I knew that the Emperor
had gone to bed, and had no idea he would take a fancy
to ask me for supper that evening, I let Roustan have it.
He, much delighted, began with a leg, and next took a
wing ; and I do not know if any of the chicken would have
been left had I not suddenly heard the bell ring sharply.
I entered the room, and was shocked to hear the Emperor
say to me, " Constant, my chicken." My embarrassment
may be imagined. I had no other chicken; and by what
means, at such an hour, could I procure one ! At last I
decided what to do. It was best to cut up the fowl, as
thus I would be able to conceal the absence of the two
limbs Roustan had eaten; so I entered proudly with the
chicken replaced on the dish, Roustan following me, for
I was very willing, if there were any reproaches, to share
them with him. I picked up the remaining wing, and
presented it to the Emperor; but he refused it, saying to
me, "Give me the chicken; I will choose for myself."
This time there was no means of saving ourselves, for
the dismembered chicken must pass under his Majesty's
eyes. "See here," said he, "since when did chickens
begin to have only one wing and one leg? That is fine;
it seems that I must eat what others leave. Who, then,
eats half of my supper?" I looked at Roustan, who in
confusion replied, " I was very hungry, Sire, and I ate a
wing and leg." — " What, you idiot ! so it was you, was it?
ROUSTAN EATS THE EMPEROR'S SUPPER. 183
All, I will punish you for it." And without another word
the Emperor ate the remaining leg and wing.
The next day at his toilet he summoned the grand
marshal for some purpose, and during the conversation
said, " I leave you to guess what I ate last night for my
supper. The scraps which M. Roustan left. Yes, the
wretch took a notion to eat half of my chicken." Roustan
entered at that moment. " Come here, you idiot," con-
tinued the Emperor; "and the next time this happens, he
sure you will pay for it." Saying this, he seized him by
the ears and laughed heartily.
184 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER XVIII.
The battle of Essling. — Controversy between two friends of the Emperor. —
Aversion of the Duke of Montebello to the Duke of . — Rudeness of
the Duke of Montebello. — His bitterness on the occasion of the plague
at Jaffa. — Presentiments of Marshal Lannes. — A fatal mischance. —
Marshal Lannes struck by a cannon-ball. — The Emperor's grief. — The
Emperor on his knees before the marshal. — Heroic courage of Marshal
Lannes. — His death caused, perhaps, by a fast of twenty-four hours. —
The Emperor's affliction. — Tears of the old grenadiers. —Last words of
the marshal. — The corpse embalmed. — A horrible spectacle. — Courage
of physicians in the army. — Grief of the Duchess of Montebello. —
Thoughtlessness of the Emperor. — The Duchess of Montebello wishes
to quit the service of the Empress.
On the 22d of May, ten days after the triumphant
entry of the Emperor into the Austrian capital, the battle
of Essling took place, a bloody combat lasting from four
in the morning till six in the evening. This battle was
sadly memorable to all the old soldiers of the Empire,
since it cost the life of perhaps the bravest of them all,
— the Duke of Montebello, the devoted friend of the
Emperor, the only one who shared with Marshal Augereau
the right to speak to him frankly face to face.
The evening before the battle the marshal entered his
Majesty's residence, and found him surrounded by several
persons. The Duke of always undertook to place
himself between the Emperor and persons who wished to
speak with him. The Duke of Montebello, seeing him play
his usual game, took him by the lappel of his coat, and,
wheeling him around, said to him : " Take yourself away
BATTLE OF ES SLING. 185
from here ! The Emperor does not need you to stand
guard. It is singular that on the field of battle you are
always so far from us that we cannot see you, while here
we can say nothing to the Emperor without your being in
the way." The duke was furious. He looked first at the
marshal, then at the Emperor, who simply said, " Gently
Lannes."
That evening in the domestic apartments they were
discussing this apostrophe of the marshal's. An officer of
the army of Egypt said that he was not surprised, since the
Duke of Montebello had never forgiven the Duke of
for the three hundred sick persons poisoned at Jaffa.
Dr. Lannefranque, one of those who attended the
unfortunate Duke of Montebello, said that as he was
mounting his horse on starting to the island of Lobau, the
duke was possessed by gloomy presentiments. He paused
a moment, took M. Lannefranque 's hand, and pressed it,
saying to him with a sad smile, " Au revoir ; you will soon
see us again, perhaps. There will be work for you and
for those gentlemen to-day,'1 pointing to several surgeons
and doctors standing near. " M. le Due," replied Lanne-
franque, " this day will add yet more to your glory." —
"My glory," interrupted the marshal eagerly; "-do you
wish me to speak frankly? I do not approve very highly
of this affair; and, moreover, whatever may be the issue,
this will be nry last battle." The doctor wished to ask
the marshal his reasons for this conviction ; but he set off
at a gallop, and was soon out of sight.
On the morning of the battle, about six or seven o'clock,
the Austrians had already advanced, when an aide-de-camp
came to announce to his Majesty that a sudden rise in the
186 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
Danube had washed down a great number of large trees
which had been cut down when Vienna was taken, and that
these trees had driven against and broken the bridges which
served as communication between Essling and the island
of Lobau; and in consequence of this the reserve corps,
part of the heavy cavalry, and Marshal Davoust's entire
corps, found themselves forced to remain inactive on the
other side. This misfortune arrested the movement which
the Emperor was preparing to make, and the enemy took
courage.
The Duke of Montebello received orders to hold the
field of battle, and took his position, resting on the vil-
lage of Essling, instead of continuing the pursuit of the
Austrians which he had already begun, and held this
position from nine o'clock in the morning till the even-
ing; and at seven o'clock in the evening the battle was
gained. At six o'clock the unfortunate marshal, while
standing on an elevation to obtain a better view of the
movements, was struck by a cannon-ball, which broke his
right thigh and his left knee.
He thought at first that he had only a few moments to
live, and had himself carried on a litter to the Emperor,
saying that he wished to embrace him before he died. The
Emperor, seeing him thus weltering in his blood, had the
litter placed on the ground, and, throwing himself on his
knees, took the marshal in his arms, and said to him, weep-
ing, "Lannes, do you know me?" — "Yes, Sire; you are
losing your best friend." — "No! no ! you will live. Can
you not answer for his life, M. Larrey?" The wounded
soldiers hearing his Majesty speak thus, tried to rise on
their elbows, and cried, " Vive VJEmpereur!"
DEATH OF LANNES. 187
The surgeons carried the marshal to a little village
called Ebersdorf, on the bank of the river, and near the
field of battle. At the house of a brewer they found a
room over a stable where the heat was stifling, and was
rendered still more unendurable from the odor of the
corpses by which the house was surrounded.
But as no other place could be found, it was necessary
to make the best of it. The marshal bore the amputation
of his limb with heroic courage ; but the fever which came
on immediately was so violent that, fearing he would die
under the operation, the surgeons postponed cutting off his
other leg. This fever was caused partly by exhaustion,
for at the time he was wounded the marshal had eaten
nothing for twenty-four hours. Finally Messieurs Larrey,1
Yvan, Paulet, and Lannefranque decided on the second
amputation ; and after this had been performed the quiet
condition of the wounded man made them hopeful of sav-
ing his life. But it was not to be. The fever increased,
and became of a most alarming character ; and in spite of
the attentions of these skillful surgeons, and of Doctor
Frank, then the most celebrated physician in Europe, the
marshal breathed his last on the 31st of May, at five o'clock
in the morning, barely forty years of age.
During his week of agony (for his sufferings may be
called by that name) the Emperor came often to see him,
and always left in deep distress. I also went to see the
marshal each day for the Emperor, and admired the
patience with which he endured these sufferings, although
1 Baron Dominique Jean Larrey, eminent surgeon, born at Bagneres-de-
Bigorre, 17(56. Accompanied Napoleon to Egypt. Surgeon-in-chief of the
grand army, 1812. Wounded and taken prisoner at Waterloo. In his will the
Emperor styles him the best man he had ever known. Died 1842. — Trans.
188 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
he had no hope ; for he knew well that he was dying, and
saw these sad tidings reflected in every face. It was
touching and terrible to see around his house, his door, in
his chamber even, these old grenadiers of the guard, always
stolid and unmoved till now, weeping and sobbing like
children. What an atrocious thing war seems at such
moments !
The evening before his death the marshal said to me,
" I see well, my dear Constant, that I must die. I wish
that your master could have ever near him men as devoted
as I. Tell the Emperor I would like to see him." As I
was going out the Emperor entered, a deep silence ensued,
and every one retired ; but the door of the room being half
open we could hear a part of the conversation, which was
long and painful. The marshal recalled his services to the
Emperor, and ended with these words, pronounced in tones
still strong and firm: "I do not say this to interest you in
my family ; I do not need to recommend to you my wife
and children. Since I die for you, your glory will bid you
protect them ; and I do not fear in addressing you these
last words, dictated by sincere affection, to change your
plans towards them. You have just made a great mis-
take, and although it deprives you of your best friend you
will not correct it. Your ambition is insatiable, and will
destroy you. You sacrifice unsparingly and unnecessarily
those men who serve you best ; and when they fall you do
not regret them. You have around you only flatterers ; I
see no friend who dares to tell you the truth. You will be
betrayed and abandoned. Hasten to end this war; it is
the general wish. You will never be more powerful, but
you may be more beloved. Pardon these truths in a dying
man — who, dying, loves you."
DEATH OF L ANNE 8. 189
The marshal, as he finished, held out his hand to the
Emperor, who embraced him, weeping, and in silence.
The day of the marshal's death his body was given to
M. Larrey and M. Cadet de Gassicourt,1 ordinary chemist
to the Emperor, with orders to preserve it, as that of Col-
onel Morland had been, who was killed at the battle of
Austerlitz. For this purpose the corpse was carried to
Schoenbrunn, and placed in the left wing of the chateau,
far from the inhabited rooms. In a few hours putrefaction
became complete, and they were obliged to plunge the
mutilated body into a bath filled with corrosive sublimate.
This extremely dangerous operation was long and painful ;
and M. Cadet de Gassicourt deserves much commendation
for the courage he displayed under these circumstances ;
for notwithstanding every precaution, and in spite of the
strong disinfectants burned in the room, the odor of this
corpse was so fetid, and the vapor from the sublimate so
strong, that the distinguished chemist was seriously in-
disposed.
Like several other persons, I had a sad curiosity to see
the marshal's body in this condition. It was frightful.
The trunk, which had been covered by the solution, was
greatly swollen ; while on the contrary, the head, which
had been left outside the bath, had shrunk remarkably,
and the muscles of the face had contracted in the most
hideous manner, the wide-open eyes starting out of their
sockets. After the body had remained eight days in the
corrosive sublimate, which it was necessary to renew, since
the emanations from the interior of the corpse had decom-
1 Charles Louis Cadet de Gassicourt, born in Paris, 17G9, pharmacist,
lawyer, and author. Died L821. —Trans.
190 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAfOLEON.
posed the solution, it was put into a cask made for the
purpose, and filled with the same liquid ; and it was in
this cask that it was carried from Schoenbrunn to Stras-
burg. In this last place it was taken out of the strange
coffin, dried in a net, and wrapped in the Egyptian style ;
that is, surrounded with bandages, with the face uncovered.
M. Larrey and M. de Gassicourt confided this honorable task
to M. Fortin, a young chemist major, who in 1807 had by his
indefatigable courage and perseverance saved from certain
death nine hundred sick, abandoned, without physicians or
surgeons, in a hospital near Dantzic, and nearly all suffering
from an infectious malady. In the month of March, 1810
(what follows is an extract from the letter of M. Fortin to
his master and friend M. Cadet de Gassicourt), the Duchess
of Montebello, in passing through Strasburg, wished to see
again the husband she loved so tenderly.
" Thanks to you and M. Larrey (it is M. Fortin who
speaks), the embalming of the marshal has succeeded per-
fectly. When I drew the body from the cask I found it in
a state of perfect preservation. I arranged a net in a
lower hall of the mayor's residence, in which I dried it
by means of a stove, the heat being carefully regulated.
I then had a very handsome coffin made of hard wood well
oiled ; and the marshal wrapped in bandages, his face un-
covered, was placed in an open coffin near that of Gen-
eral Saint-Hilaire in a subterranean vault, of which I have
the key. A sentinel watches there day and night. M.
Wangen de Gueroldseck, mayor of Strasburg, has given
me every assistance in my work.
" This was the state of affairs when, an hour after her
Majesty the Empress's arrival, Madame, the Duchess of
THE DUCHESS OF MONTEBELLO. 191
Montebello, who accompanied her as lady of honor, sent
M. Cretu, her cousin at whose house she was to visit, to
seek me. I came in answer to her orders ; and the duchess
questioned and complimented me on the honorable mission
with which I was charged, and then expressed to me, with
much agitation, her desire to see for the last time the body
of her husband. I hesitated a few moments before answer-
ing her, and foreseeing the effect which would be pro-
duced on her by the sad spectacle, told her that the orders
which I had received would prevent my doing what she
wished ; but she insisted in such a pressing manner that
I yielded. We agreed (in order not to compromise me,
and that she might not be recognized) that I would go for
her at midnight, and that she would be accompanied by one
of her relatives.
"I went to the duchess at the appointed hour; and as
soon as I arrived, she rose and said that she was ready
to accompany me. I waited a few moments, begging her
to consider the matter well. I warned her of the condition
in which she would find the marshal, and begged her to
reflect on the impression she would receive in the sad place
she was about to visit. She replied that she was well pre-
pared for this, and felt that she had the necessary courage,
and she hoped to find in this last visit some amelioration of
the bitter sorrow she endured. While speaking thus, her
sad and beautiful countenance was calm and pensive. We
then started, M. Cretu giving his arm to his cousin. The
duchess's carriage followed at a distance, empty ; and two
servants followed us.
" The city was illuminated ; and the good inhabitants
were all taking holiday, and in many houses gay music
192 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
was inspiriting them to the celebration of this memorable
day. What a contrast between this gayety and the quest
in which we were engaged ! I saw that the steps of the
duchess dragged now and then, while she sighed and shud-
dered; and my own heart seemed oppressed, my ideas
confused.
"At last we arrived at the mayor's residence, where
Madame de Montebello gave her servants orders to await
her, and descended slowly, accompanied by her cousin and
myself, to the door of the lower hall. A lantern lighted
our way, and the duchess trembled while she affected a
sort of bravery; but when she entered a sort of cavern,
the silence of the dead which reigned in this subterranean
vault, the mournful light which filled it, the sight of the
corpse extended in its coffin, produced a terrible effect on
her ; she gave a piercing scream, and fainted. I had fore-
seen this, and had watched her attentively ; and as soon as
I saw her strength failing, supported her in my arms and
seated her, having in readiness everything necessary to re-
store her. I used these remedies, and she revived at the
end of a few moments ; and we then begged her to with-
draw, but she refused ; then rose, approached the coffin,
and walked around it slowly in silence ; then stopping and
letting her folded hands fall by her side, she remained for
some time immovable, regarding the inanimate figure of
her husband, and watering it with her tears. At last she
in a measure regained her self-control, and exclaimed in
stifled tones through her sobs, ' Mon Dieu, mon Dieu !
how he is changed!' I made a sign to M. Cretu that it
was time to retire ; but we could drag the duchess away
only by promising her to bring her back next day, — a
THE DUCHESS OF MONTEBELLO. 193
promise which could not be kept. I closed the door
quickly, and gave my arm to the duchess, which she grate-
fully accepted. When we left the mayoralty I took leave
of her ; but she insisted on my entering her carriage, and
gave orders to carry me to my residence. In this short
ride she shed a torrent of tears ; and when the carriage
stopped, said to me with inexpressible kindness, ' I shall
never forget, Monsieur, the important service you have
just rendered me.' "
Long after this the Emperor and Empress Marie Louise
visited together the manufacture of Sevres porcelain, and
the Duchess of Montebello accompanied the Empress as
lady of honor. The Emperor, seeing a fine bust of the
marshal, in bisque, exquisitely made, paused, and, not no-
ticing the pallor which overspread the countenance of the
duchess, asked her what she thought of this bust, and if it
was a good likeness. The widow felt as if her old wound
was reopened; she could not reply, and retired, bathed in
tears, and it was several days before she reappeared at
court. Apart from the fact that this unexpected question
renewed her grief, the inconceivable thoughtlessness the
Emperor had shown wounded her so deeply that her
friends had much difficulty in persuading her to resume
her duties near the Empress.
194 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER XIX.
Disasters of the battle of Essling. — Murmurs of the soldiers. — Addresses to
the generals. — Courageous patience. — Bravery of Marshal Massena. —
Continued happiness. — Zeal of the army surgeons. — A word from the
Emperor. — M. Larrey. — Horse-soup. — Soup made in their helmets. —
Fortitude of the wounded. — Suicide of a cannoneer. — The old German
doorkeeper. — Princess Lichtenstein. — Good fare and dry linen. — Insult-
ing letter to the Princess Lichtenstein. — The Emperor furious. — The
Emperor's filial piety. — Kindness of Princess Lichtenstein. — Pardon
granted by the Emperor. — M. Larrey's remonstrances. — Two anecdotes
about this celebrated surgeon.
The battle of Essling was disastrous in every respect.
Twelve thousand Frenchmen were slain ; and the source of
all this trouble was the destruction of the bridges, which
could have been prevented, it seems to me, for the same
accident had occurred two or three days before the battle.
The soldiers complained loudly, and several corps of the
infantry cried out to the generals to dismount and fight
in their midst; but this ill humor in no wise affected
their courage or patience, for regiments remained five
hours under arms, exposed to the most terrible fire.
Three times during the evening the Emperor sent to in-
quire of General Massena if he could hold his position ;
and the brave captain, who that day saw his son on the
field of battle for the first time, and his friends and
his bravest officers falling by dozens around him, held it
till night closed in. "I will not fall back," said he,
"while there is light. Those rascally Austrians would
BRAVERY OF MASSENA. 195
be too glad." The constancy of the marshal saved the
day; but, as he himself said, he was always blessed with
good luck. In the beginning of the battle, seeing that
one of his stirrups was too long, he called a soldier to
shorten it, and during this operation placed his leg on his
horse's neck ; a cannon-ball whizzed by, killed the soldier,
and cut off the stirrup, without touching the marshal or
his horse. " There," said he, " now I shall have to get
down and change my saddle ; " which observation the
marshal made in a jesting tone.
The surgeon and his assistants conducted themselves
admirably on this terrible day, and displayed a zeal equal
to every emergency, combined with an activity which de-
lighted the Emperor so much, that several times, in pass-
ing near them, he called them "my brave surgeons." M.
Larrey above all was sublime. After having attended to
all the wounded of the guard, who were crowded together
on the Island of Lobau, he asked if there was any broth to
give them. "No," replied the assistants. "Have some
made," said he, "have some made of that group," pointing
to several horses near him; but these horses belonged to
a general, and when it was attempted to carry out M.
Larrey's orders, the owner indignantly refused to allow
them to be taken. "Well, take mine then," said the
brave soldier, "and have them killed, in order that my
comrades may have broth." This was done; and as no pots
could be found on the island it was boiled in helmets,
and salted with cannon powder in place of salt. Marshal
Massena tasted this soup, and thought it very good. One
hardly knows which to admire most, — the zeal of the sur-
geons, the courage with which they confronted danger in
196 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
caring for the wounded on the field of battle, and even
in the midst of the conflict ; or the stoical constancy of the
soldiers, who, lying on the ground, some without an arm,
some without a leg, talked over their campaigns with each
other while waiting to be operated on, some even going
so far as to show excessive politeness. " M. Docteur,
begin with my neighbor; he is suffering more than I.
I can wait."
A cannoneer had both legs carried away by a ball ; two
of his comrades picked him up and made a litter with
branches of trees, on which they placed him in order to
convey him to the island. The poor mutilated fellow did
not utter a single groan, but murmured, "I am very
thirsty," from time to time, to those who bore him. As
they passed one of the bridges, he begged them to stop
and seek a little wine or brandy to restore his strength.
They believed him, and did as he requested, but had not
gone twenty steps when the cannoneer called to them,
" Don't go so fast, my comrades ; I have no legs, and I
will reach the end of my journey sooner than you. Vive la
France ; " and, with a supreme effort, he rolled off into the
Danube.
The conduct of a surgeon-major of the guard, some time
after, came near compromising the entire corps in his Maj-
esty's opinion. This surgeon, M. M , lodged with
General Dorsenne and some superior officers in a pretty
country seat, belonging to the Princess of Lichtenstein,
the concierge of the house being an old German who
was blunt and peculiar, and served them with the great-
est repugnance, making them as uncomfortable as pos-
sible. In vain, for instance, they requested of him linen
PRINCESS LICHTENSTEIN. 197
for the beds and table ; he always pretended not to
hear.
General Dorsenne wrote to the princess, complaining of
this condition of affairs ; and in consequence she no doubt
gave orders, but the general's letter remained unanswered,
and several days passed with no change of affairs. They
had had no change of napkins for a month, when the
general took a fancy to give a grand supper, at which
Rhenish and Hungarian wine were freely indulged in,
followed by punch. The host was highly complimented;
but with these praises were mingled energetic reproaches
on the doubtful whiteness of the napery, General Dorsenne
excusing himself on the score of the ill-humor and sordid
economy of the concierge, who was a fit exponent of the
scant courtesy shown by the princess. " That is unendur-
able ! " cried the joyous guests in chorus. " This hostess
who so completely ignores us must be called to order.
Come, M , take pen and paper and write her some
strong epigrams ; we must teach this princess of Germany
how to live. French officers and conquerors sleeping in
rumpled sheets, and using soiled napkins! What an out-
rage ! " M. M was only too faithful an interpreter of
the unanimous sentiments of these gentlemen; and under
the excitement of the fumes of these Hungarian wines
wrote the Princess of Lichtenstein a letter such as during
the Carnival itself one would not dare to write even to
public women. How can I express what must have been
Madame Lichtenstein's horror on reading this production,
— an incomprehensible collection of all the low expres-
sions that army slang could furnish! The evidence of a
third person was necessaiy to convince her that the sig-
198 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
nature, M , Surgeon-major of the Imperial French
Guard, was not the forgery of some miserable drunkard.
In her profound indignation the princess hastened to Gen-
eral Andreossy,1 his Majesty's Governor of Vienna, showed
him this letter, and demanded vengeance. Whereupon the
general, even more incensed than she, entered his carriage,
and, proceeding to Schoenbrunn, laid the wonderful pro-
duction before the Emperor. The Emperor read it, re-
coiled three paces, his cheeks reddened with anger, his
whole countenance was disturbed, and in a terrible tone
ordered the grand marshal to summon M. M , while
every one waited in trembling suspense.
"Did you write this disgusting letter?" — "Sire." —
"Reply, I order you; was it you?" — "Yes, Sire, in a
moment of forgetfulness, after a supper." — "Wretch!"
cried his Majesty, in such a manner as to terrify all who
heard him. " You deserve to be instantly shot ! Insult
a woman so basely ! And an old woman too. Have you
no mother ? I respect and honor every old woman because
she reminds me of my mother! " — "Sire, I am guilty, I
admit, but my repentance is great. Deign to remember
my services. I have followed you through eighteen cam-
paigns ; I am the father of a family." These last words
only increased the anger of his Majesty. " Let him be
arrested ! Tear off his decorations ; he is unworthy to wear
them. Let him be tried in twenty-four hours." Then
turning to the generals, who stood stupefied and immov-
able around him, he exclaimed, " Look, gentlemen ! read
1 Count Antoiue Francois Andreossy, born in Languedoc, 1761. Served
under Napoleon in Italy and Egypt, and was his Chief of Staff on 18th Bru-
maire. Ambassador to London, Vienna, and Turkey. Died 1828. — Trans.
ANGER OF THE EMPEROR. 199
this ! See how this blackguard addresses a princess, and at
the very moment when her husband is negotiating a peace
with me." 1
The parade was very short that day ; and as soon as it
was ended, Generals Dorsenne and Larrey hastened to Ma-
dame Lichtenstein, and, describing to her the scene which
had just taken place, made her most humble apologies, in
the name of the Imperial Guard, and at the same time
entreated her to intercede for the unfortunate fellow, who
deserved blame, no doubt, but who was not himself when
he wrote the offensive epistle. "He repents bitterly, Ma-
dame," said good M. Larrey ; " he weeps over his fault,
and bravely awaits his punishment, esteeming it a just
reparation of the insult to you. But he is one of the best
officers of the army ; he is beloved and esteemed ; he has
saved the life of thousands, and his distinguished talents
are the only fortune his family possesses. What will
become of them if he is shot? " — "Shot! " exclaimed the
princess ; " shot ! Bon Dieu ! would the matter be carried
as far as that?" Then General Dorsenne described to her
the Emperor's resentment as incomparably deeper than her
own ; and the princess, much moved, immediately wrote
the Emperor a letter, in which she expressed herself as
grateful, and fully satisfied with the reparation which
had already been made, and entreated him to pardon
M. M .
His Majesty read the letter, but made no reply. The
princess was again visited ; and she had by this time become
so much alarmed that she regretted exceedingly having
1 Prince John Joseph Lichtenstein, born in Vienna, 1760. General and
diplomat. Died 1836. — Trans.
200 EECOLLECTJONS OF NAPOLEON.
shown the letter of M. M to the general; and, having
decided at any cost to obtain the surgeon's pardon, she
addressed a petition to the Emperor, which closed with
this sentence, expressing angelic forgiveness : " Sire, I am
going to fall on my knees in my oratory, and will not rise
until I have obtained from Heaven your Majesty's pardon."
The Emperor could no longer hold out ; he granted the
pardon, and M. M was released after a month of close
confinement. M. Larrey was charged by his Majesty to
reprove him most severely, with a caution to guard more
carefully the honor of the corps to which he belonged ; and
the remonstrances of this excellent man were made in so
paternal a manner that they doubled in M. M 's eyes
the value of the inestimable service M. Larrey had ren-
dered him.
M. le Baron Larrey was always most disinterested in
his kind services, a fact which was well known and often
abused. General d'A , the son of a rich senator, had
his shoulder broken by a shell at Wagram ; and an exceed-
ingly delicate operation was found necessary, requiring a
skilled hand, and which M. Larrey alone could perform.
This operation was a complete success ; but the wounded
man had a delicate constitution, which had been much
impaired, and consequently required the most incessant
care and attention. M. Larrey hardly ever left his bed-
side, and was assisted by two medical students, who
watched by turns, and assisted him in dressing the wound.
The treatment was long and painful, but a complete cure
was the result; and when almost entirely recovered, the
general took leave of the Emperor to return to France. A
pension and decorations canceled the debt of the head of
M. LARREY. 201
the state to him, but the manner in which he acquitted his
own towards the man who had saved his life is worthy of
consideration.
As he entered his carnage he handed to one of his
friends a letter and a little box, saying to this general, "I
cannot leave Vienna without thanking M. Larrey; do me
the favor of handing to him for me this mark of my
gratitude. Good Larrey, I will never forget the services
he has rendered me." Next day the friend performed his
commission ; and a soldier was sent with the letter and the
present, and, as he reached Schoenbriinn during the parade,
sought M. Larrey in the line. " Here is a letter and a
box which I bring from General A ." M. Larrey put
both in his pocket, but after the parade examined them,
and showed the package to Cadet de Gassicourt, saying,
"Look at it, and tell me what you think of it." The letter
was very prettily written; as for the box, it contained a
diamond worth about sixty francs.
This pitiful recompense recalls one both glorious and
well-earned which M. Larrey received from the Emperor
during the campaign in Egypt. At the battle of Aboukir,
General Fugieres was operated on by M. Larrey under the
enemies' fire for a dangerous wound on the shoulder ; and
thinking himself about to die, offered his sword to General
Bonaparte, saying to him, u General, perhaps one day you
may envy my fate." The general-in-chief presented this
sword to M. Larrey, after having engraved on it the name
of M. Larrey and that of the battle. However, General
Fugieres did not die; his life was saved by the skillful
operation he had undergone, and for seventeen years he
commanded the Invalids at Avignon.
202 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER XX.
Some reflections on the manners of the officers in the army. — Military style.
— The Prince de Neuchatel. — Generals Bertrand, Bacler d'Alhe, etc. —
Prince Eugene, Marshals Oudinot, Davoust, Bessieres, Generals Rapp,
Lebrun, Lauriston, etc. — Affability and dignity. — Foppishness of the
jay-birds of the army. — Cartridge-box used as a dressing-case. — Officers
by courtesy. — Officers of the line. — Bravery and modesty. — Real courage
averse to duelling. — Disinterestedness. — Attachment of the officers to
their soldiers. — Breakfast of the grenadiers the day before the battle of
"Wagram. — The Emperor's orders disregarded. — The Emperor indig-
nant. — The culprit shot. — The dog of the regiment. — Death of General
Oudet at "Wagram. — Confidence reposed in Constant by an officer, one of
his friends. — The Philadelphi. — Republican conspiracy against Napo-
leon.— Oudet chief of the conspiracy. — Bravery of this general. — His
mysterious death. — Suicides. — Military breakfast the day after the bat-
tle of Wagram. — A bold robbery. — Heroic courage of a Saxon surgeon.
It is not in the presence of the enemy that differences
in the manner and bearing of soldiers can be remarked,
for the requirements of the service completely engross both
the ideas and time of officers, whatever their grade, and
uniformity of occupation produces also a kind of uni-
formity of habit and character; but, in the monotonous
life of the camp, differences due to nature and educa-
tion reassert themselves. I noted this many times after
the truces and treaties of peace which crowned the most
glorious campaigns of the Emperor, and had occasion to
renew my observations on this point during the long so-
journ which we made at Schoenbrunn with the army.
Military tone in the army is a most difficult tiling to define,
and differs according to rank, time of service, and kind
MILITARY STYLE. 203
of service ; and there are no genuine soldiers except those
who form part of the line, or who command it. In the
soldiers' opinion, the Prince de Neuchatel and his brilliant
staff, the grand marshal, Generals Bertrand, Bacler d'Albe,1
etc., were only men of the cabinet council, whose experi-
ence might be of some use in such deliberations, but to
whom bravery was not indispensable.
The chief generals, such as Prince Eugene, Marshals
Oudinot, Davoust, Bessieres, and his Majesty's aides-de-
camp, Rapp, Lebrun, Lauriston, Mouton, etc., were exceed-
ingly affable, and every one was most politely received by
them; their dignity never became haughtiness, nor their
ease an excessive familiarity, though their manners were
at all times slightly tinged by the austerity inseparable
from the character of a warrior. This was not the idea
held in the army in regard to a few of the ordnance
and staff officers (aides-de-camp) ; for, while according
them all the consideration due both to their education
and their courage, they called them the jay-birds of the
<(rnn/; receiving favors which others deserved; obtaining
cordons and promotions for carrying a few letters into
camp, often without having even seen the enemy ; insult-
ing by their luxury the modest temperance of the braver
officers; and more foppish in the midst of their battalions
than in the boudoirs of their mistresses. The silver-gilt
box of one of these gentlemen was a complete portable
dressing-case, and contained, instead of cartridges, essence
bottles, brushes, a mirror, a tongue-scraper, a shell-comb,
1 Louis Albert Bacler d'Albe, general of brigade and ebief of topograph-
ical engineers, also a painter, born at St. Pol, 1762 ; distinguished biniself at
Areola; died 182±. —Trans.
204 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
and — I do not know that it lacked even a pot of rouge.
It could not be said that they were not brave, for they
would allow themselves to be killed for a glance ; but they
were very rarely exposed to danger. Foreigners would
be right in maintaining the assertion that the French sol-
dier is frivolous, presumptuous, impertinent, and immoral,
if they formed their judgment alone from these officers
by courtesy, who, in place of study and faithful service,
had often no other title to their rank than the merit of
having emigrated.
The officers of the line, who had served in several cam-
paigns and had gained their epaulettes on the field of battle,
held a very different position in the army. Always grave,
polite, and considerate, there was a kind of fraternity among
them ; and having known suffering and misery themselves,
they were always ready to help others ; and their conversa-
tion, though not distinguished by brilliant information, was
often full of interest. In nearly every case boasting quitted
them with their youth, and the bravest were always the most
modest. Influenced by no imaginary points of honor, they
estimated themselves at their real worth ; and all fear of be-
ing suspected of cowardice was beneath them. With these
brave soldiers, who often united to the greatest kindness
of heart a mettle no less great, a flat contradiction or even
a little hasty abuse from one of their brothers in arms was
not obliged to be washed out in blood; and examples of
the moderation which true courage alone has a right to
show were not rare in the army. Those who cared least
for money, and were most generous, were most exposed, —
the artillerymen and the hussars, for instance. At Wa-
gram I saw a lieutenant pay a louis for a bottle of brandy,
MILITARY STYLE. 205
and immediately divide it among the soldiers of his com-
pany; and brave officers often formed such an attach-
ment to their regiment, especially if it had distinguished
itself, that they sometimes refused promotion rather than
be separated from their children, as they called them. In
them we behold the true model of the French soldier ; and
it is this kindness, mingled with the austerity of a warrior,
this attachment of the chief to the soldier, which the
latter is so capable of appreciating, and an impregnable
honor, which serve to distinguish our soldiers from all
others, and not, as foreigners think, presumption, bragga-
docio, and libertinage, which latter are ever the character-
istics of the parasites of glory alone.
In the camp of Lobau on the evening before the battle
of Wagram, the Emperor, as he was walking outside his
tent, stopped a moment watching the grenadiers of his
guard who were breakfasting. "Well, my children, what
do you think of the wine ? " — "It will not make us tipsy,
Sire ; there is our cellar," said a soldier pointing to the
Danube. The Emperor, who had ordered a bottle of good
wine to be distributed to each soldier, was surprised to see
that they were so abstemious the evening before a battle.
He inquired of the Prince de Neuchatel the cause of this :
and upon investigation, it was learned that two storekeepers
and an employee in the commissary department had sold
forty thousand bottles of the wine which the Emperor had
ordered to be distributed, and had replaced it with some of
inferior quality. This wine had been seized by the Im-
perial Guard in a rich abbey, and was valued at thirty
thousand florins. The culprits were arrested, tried, and
condemned to death.
206 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
There was in the camp at Lobau a dog which I think
all the army knew by the name of corps-de-garde. He was
old, emaciated, and ugly ; but his moral qualities caused his
exterior defects to be quickly lost sight of. He was some-
times called the brave dog of the Empire ; since he had
received a bayonet stroke at Marengo, and had a paw
broken by a gun at Austerlitz, being at that time attached
to a regiment of dragoons. He had no master. He was
in the habit of attaching himself to a corps, and continuing
faithful so long as they fed him well and did not beat
him. A kick or a blow with the flat of a sword would
cause him to desert this regiment, and pass on to another.
He was unusually intelligent; and whatever might be the
position of the corps in which he was serving, he did not
abandon it, or confound it with any other, and in the
thickest of the fight was always near the banner he had
chosen ; and if in the camp he met a soldier from the regi-
ment he had deserted, he would droop his ears, drop his
tail between his legs, and scamper off quickly to rejoin his
new brothers in arms. When his regiment was on the
march he circled as a scout all around it, and gave warn-
ing by a bark if he found anything unusual, thus on more
than one occasion saving his comrades from ambush.
Among the officers who perished at the battle of Wa-
gram, or rather in a small engagement which took place after
the battle had ended, one of those most regretted by the
soldiers was General Oudet.1 He was one of the bravest
generals of the army ; but what brings his name especially
to mind, among all those whom the army lost on that mem-
i Jacques Joseph Oudet, born at Meynal, 1773, a zealous republican.
Killed at "Wagram.— Tranb.
THE PH1LADELPH1. 207
orable day, is a note which I have preserved of a conversa-
tion I held several years after this battle with an excellent
officer who was one of my sincerest friends.
In a conversation with LieutenamVcolonel B in
1812, he remarked, "I must tell you, my dear Constant, of
a strange adventure which happened to me at Wagram. I
did not tell you at the time, because I had promised to be
silent ; but since at the present time no one can be compro-
mised by my indiscretion, and since those who then had most
to fear if their singular ideas (for I can call them by no
other name) had been revealed, would now be first to laugh
at them, I can well inform you of the mysterious discovery
I made at that period.
"You well know that I was much attached to poor
F whom we so much regretted ; and he was one of our
most popular and attractive officers, his good qualities win-
ning the hearts of all, especially of those who like himself
had an unfailing fund of frankness and good humor. All
at once I noticed a great change in his manner, as well as
in that of his habitual companions ; they appeared gloomy,
and met together no more for gay conversation, but on the
contrary spoke in low tones and with an air of mystery.
More than once this sudden change had struck me ; and if
by chance I met them in retired places, instead of receiving
me cordially as had always been their custom, they seemed
as if trying to avoid me. At last, weaiy of this inexpli-
cable mystery, I took F aside, and asked him what this
strange conduct meant. ' You have forestalled me, my dear
friend,' said he. ' I was on the point of making an impor-
tant disclosure ; I trust you will not accuse me of want of
confidence, but swear to me before I confide in you that
208 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
you will tell no living soul what I am now going to reveal.
When I had taken this oath, which he demanded of me in
a tone of gravity which surprised me inexpressibly, he
continued, ' If I have not already told you of the Phila-
delphia it is only because I knew that reasons which I re-
spect would prevent your ever joining them; but since
you have asked this secret, it would be a want of confidence
in you, and at the same time perhaps an imprudence, not to
reveal it. Some patriots have united themselves under the
title of Philadelphi, in order to save our country from the
dangers to which it is exposed. The Emperor Napoleon
has tarnished the glory of the First Consul Bonaparte ; he
had saved our liberty, but he has since destroyed it by the
re-establishment of the nobility and by the Concordat. The
society of the Philadelphi has as yet no well-defined plans
for preventing the evils with which ambition will continue
to overwhelm France ; but when peace is restored we shall
see if it is impossible to force Bonaparte to restore republi-
can institutions, and meanwhile we are overcome by grief
and despair. The brave chief of the Philadelphi, the pure
Oudet, has been assassinated, and who is worthy to take
his place? Poor Oudet! never was one braver or more
eloquent than he ! With a noble haughtiness and an im-
movable firmness of character, he possessed an excellent
heart. His first battle showed his intrepid spirit. When
cut down at Saint Bartholomew by a ball, his comrades
wished to bear him away, " No, no," cried he; "don't waste
time over me. The Spaniards ! the Spaniards ! " — " Shall
we leave you to the enemy?" said one of those who had
advanced towards him. " Well, drive them back if you do
not wish me to be left with them." At the beginning of
DEATH OF GENERAL OUDET. 209
the campaign of Wagram, he was colonel of the Ninth regi-
ment of the line, and was made general of brigade on the
evening before the battle, his corps forming part of the
left wing commanded by Massena. Our line was broken
on this side for a moment, and Oudet made heroic efforts to
reform it ; and after he had been wounded by three bayonet
strokes, with the loss of much blood, and dragged away by
those of us who were forced to fall back, still had himself
fastened on his horse in order that he might not be forced
to leave the battlefield.
'"After the battle, he received orders to advance to the
front, and to place himself with his regiment in an advanta-
geous position for observation, and then return immediately
to headquarters, with a certain number of his officers, to
receive new orders. He executed these orders, and was
returning in the night, when a discharge of musketry was
suddenly heard, and he fell into an ambush ; he fought
furiously in the darkness, knowing neither the number
nor character of his adversaries, and at break of day was
found, covered with wounds, in the midst of twenty officers
who had been slain around him. He was still breathing,
and lived three days; but the only words he pronounced
were those of commiseration for the fate of his country.
When his body was taken from the hospital to prepare
it for burial, several of the wounded in their despair tore
the bandages from their wounds, a sergeant-major threw
himself on his sword near the grave, and a lieutenant there
blew out his brains. Behold,' said F , ' a death that
plunges us into the deepest despair ! ' I tried to prove to
him that he was mistaken, and that the plans of the Phila-
delphi were mad, but succeeded very imperfectly; and
210 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
though he listened to my advice, he again earnestly rec-
ommended secrecy."
The day after the battle of Wagram, I think, a large
number of officers were breakfasting near the Emperor's
tent, the generals seated on the grass, and the officers
standing around them. They discussed the battle at
length, and related numerous remarkable anecdotes, some
of which remain engraven on my memory. A staff-officer
of his Majesty said, "I thought I had lost my finest horse.
As I had ridden him on the 5 th and wished him to rest, I
gave him to my servant to hold by the bridle ; and when
he left him one moment to attend to his own, the horse
was stolen in a flash by a dragoon, who instantly sold him
to a dismounted captain, telling him he was a captured
horse. I recognized him in the ranks, and claimed him,
proving by my saddle-bags and their contents that he was
not a horse taken from the Austrians, and had to repay
the captain the five louis which he had paid to the dragoon
for this horse which had cost me sixty."
The best anecdote, perhaps, of the day was this: M.
Salsdorf, a Saxon, and surgeon in Prince Christian's regi-
ment, in the beginning of the battle had his leg fractured
by a shell. Lying on the ground, he saw, fifteen paces
from him, M. Amedee de Kerbourg, who was wounded by
a bullet, and vomiting blood. He saw that this officer
would die of apoplexy if something was not done for him,
and collecting all his strength, dragged himself along in
the dust, bled him, and saved his life.
M. de Kerbourg had no opportunity to embrace the one
who had saved his life ; for M. de Salsdorf was carried to
Vienna, and only survived the amputation four days.
AT SCHOENBBUNN. 211
CHAPTER XXI.
Benefactions of the Emperor during his stay at Schoenhrunn. — Anecdote. —
The young Mahoinmedan woman carried away by Corsairs. — A second
He'lo'ise. — Second taking away. — Distress. — Journey on foot from Con-
stantinople to Vienna. — Desperate news. — Marriage of the young Mahoin-
medan to a French officer. — Madame Dartois' journey to Constantinople.
— Terror and flight. — Madame Dartois a widow for the second time. —
Petitions to the Emperor. — M. Jaubert, the Duke of Bassano and General
Lehrun. — Generosity and gratitude. — The fifteenth of August at Vienna.
— Strange illumination. — Frightful accident. — The commissary-general
of police at Vienna. — Anecdote. — An officer's singular mistake. — Pas-
sion for play and treachery. — The spy surprised and shot. — Courage
of a conscript, and gayety of the Emperor. — Second attempt on the
Emperor's life. — The mistress of Lord Paget. — Advances made to the
countess in the Emperor's name — Hesitation. — Bold resolution. —
The man of the police. — The match fails. — Security of the Emperor.
— The Emperor's courage at Essling. — His solicitude for his soldiers. —
Schoenhrunn a rendezvous for learned men. — M. Maelzel, mechanician.
— The Emperor playing chess with an automaton. — The Emperor cheat-
ing and beaten. — Commendable action of the Prince de Neuchatel. —
Gratitude of two young girls.
At Schoenhrunn, as elsewhere, his Majesty marked his
presence by his benefactions. I still retain vivid recollec-
tions of an occurrence which long continued to be the sub-
ject of conversation at this period, and the singular details
of which render it worthy of narration.
A little girl nine years old, belonging to a very wealthy
and highly esteemed family of Constantinople, was carried
away by bandits as she was promenading one day with her
attendant outside the city. The bandits carried their two
captives to Anatolia, and there sold them. The little girl,
212 BECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
who gave promise of great beauty, fell to the lot of a rich
merchant of Broussa, the harshest, most severe, and intract-
able man of the town ; but the artless grace of this child
touched even his ferocious heart. He conceived a great
affection for her, and distinguished her from his other
slaves by giving her only light employment, such as the
care of flowers, etc. A European gentleman who lived
with this merchant offered to take charge of her educa-
tion ; to which the man consented, all the more willingly
since she had gained his heart, and he wished to make her
his wife as soon as she reached a marriageable age. But
the European had the same idea ; and as he was young,
with an agreeable and intelligent countenance, and very
rich, he succeeded in winning the young slave's affection ;
and she escaped one day from her master, and, like an-
other Heloise, followed her Abelard to Kutahie, where
they remained concealed for six months.
She was then ten years old. Her preceptor, who be-
came more devoted to her each day, carried her to Con-
stantinople, and confided her to the care of a Greek bishop,
charging him to make her a good Christian, and then re-
turned to Vienna, with the intention of obtaining the con-
sent of his family and the permission of his government to
marry a slave.
Two years then passed, and the poor girl heard nothing
from her future husband. Meanwhile the bishop had died,
and his heirs had abandoned Marie (this was the baptis-
mal name of the convert) ; and she, with no means and no
protector, ran the risk of being at any moment discovered
by some relation or friend of her family — and it is well
known that the Turks never forgive a change of religion.
STOBY OF THE SLAVE GIRL. 213
Tormented by a thousand fears, weary of her retreat and
the deep obscurity in which she was buried, she took the
bold resolution of rejoining her benefactor, and not de-
terred by dangers of the road set out from Constantinople
alone on foot. On her arrival in the capital of Austria,
she learned that her intended husband had been dead for
more than a year.
The despair into which the poor girl was plunged by
this sad news can be better imagined than described.
What was to be done? What would become of her?
She decided to return to her family, and for this purpose
repaired to Trieste, which town she found in a state of
great commotion. It had just received a French garrison ;
but the disturbances inseparable from war were not yet
ended, and young Marie consequently entered a Greek
convent to await a suitable opportunity of returning to
Constantinople. There a sub-lieutenant of infantry, named
Dartois, saw her, became madly in love, won her heart, and
married her at the end of a year.
The happiness which Madame Dartois now enjoyed did
not cause her to renounce her plan of visiting her own
family; and, as she now had become a Frenchwoman, she
thought this title would accelerate her return to her par-
ents' favor. Her husband's regiment received orders to
leave Trieste ; and this gave Madame Dartois the oppor-
tunity to renew her entreaties to be allowed to visit Con-
stantinople, to which her husband gave his consent, not
without explaining to her, however, all she had to fear, and
all the dangers to which this journey would again expose
her. At last she started, and a few days after her arrival
was on the point of making herself known to her family,
214 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
when she recognized on the street through her veil, the
Broussan merchant, her former master, who was seeking
her throughout Constantinople, and had sworn to kill her
on sight.
This terrible rencontre threw her into such a fright,
that for three days she lived in constant terror, scarcely
daring to venture out, even on the most urgent business,
and always fearing lest she should see again the ferocious
Anatolian. From time to time she received letters from
her husband, who still marched with the French army ; and,
as it was now advancing, he conjured her in his last letters to
return to France, hoping to be able soon to rejoin her there.
Deprived of all hope of a reconciliation with her family,
Madame Dartois determined to comply with her husband's
request ; and, although the war between Russia and Turkey
rendered the roads very unsafe, she left Constantinople in
the month of July, 1809.
After passing through Hungary and the midst of the
Austrian camp, Madame Dartois bent her steps towards
Vienna, where she had the sorrow to learn that her hus-
band had been mortally wounded at the battle of Wagram,
and was now in that town ; she hastened to him, and he
expired in her arms.
She mourned her husband deeply, but was soon com-
pelled to think of the future, as the small amount of
money remaining to her when she left Constantinople had
been barely sufficient for the expenses of her journey, and
M. Dartois had left no property. Some one having advised
the poor woman to go to Schoenbrunn and ask his Majesty's
assistance, a superior officer gave her a letter of recommen-
dation to M. Jaubert, interpreting secretary of the Emperor.
MADAME DARTOIS AND NAPOLEON. 215
Madame Dartois arrived, as his Majesty was preparing to
leave Schoenbrunn, and made application to M. Jaubert,
the Duke of Bassano, General Lebrun,1 and many other
persons who became deeply interested in her misfortunes.
The Emperor, when informed by the Duke of Bassano
of the deplorable condition of this woman, at once made a
special order granting Madame Dartois an annual pension
of sixteen hundred francs, the first year of which was
paid in advance. When the Duke of Bassano announced
to the widow his Majesty's decision, and handed her the
first year's pension, she fell at his feet and bathed them
with her tears.
The Emperor's fete was celebrated at Vienna with much
brilliancy ; and as all the inhabitants felt themselves obliged
to illumine their windows, the effect was extraordinarily
brilliant. They had no set illuminations ; but almost all
the windows had double sashes, and between these sashes
were placed lamps, candles, etc., ingeniously arranged, the
effect of which was charming. The Austrians appeared
as gay as our soldiers ; they had not feted their own Em-
peror with so much ardor, and, though deep down in their
hearts they must have experienced a feeling of constraint
at such unaccustomed J03-, appearances gave no sign of this.
On the evening of the fete, during the parade, a terrible
explosion was heard at Schoenbrunn, the noise of which
seemed to come from the town ; and a few moments after-
wards a gendarme appeared, his horse in a gallop. " Oh,
oh ! " said Colonel Mechnem, " there must be a fire at
1 Anne Charles Lebrun, son of the third consul, horn in Paris, 1775 ;
aide-de-camp of Desaix at Marengo and of Napoleon at Eylau and Wagram ;
general of division, 1812 ; hecame, on the death of his father, Duke of Plai-
sance, 1824 ; died 1859. — Trans.
216 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
Vienna, if a gendarme is galloping." In fact, he brought
tidings of a very deplorable event. While an artillery
company had been preparing, in the arsenal of the town,
numerous fireworks to celebrate his Majesty's fete, one of
them, in preparing a rocket, accidentally set the fuse
on fire, and becoming frightened threw it away from him.
It fell on the powder which the shop contained, and
eighteen cannoneers were killed by the explosion, and
seven wounded.
During his Majesty's fete, as I entered his cabinet one
morning, I found with him M. Charles Sulmetter, commis-
sary general of the police of Vienna, whom I had seen often
before. He had begun as head spy for the Emperor ; and
this had proved such a profitable business that he had
amassed an income of forty thousand pounds.
He had been born at Strasburg ; and in his early life
had been chief of a band of smugglers, to which vocation
he was as wonderfully adapted by nature as to that which
he afterwards pursued. He admitted this in relating his
adventures, and maintained that smuggling and police
service had many points of similarity, since the great art of
smuggling was to know how to evade, while that of a spy
was to know how to seek.
He inspired such terror in the Viennese that he was
equal to a whole army-corps in keeping them in subjection.
His quick and penetrating glance, his air of resolution and
severity, the abruptness of his step and gestures, his terrible
voice, and his appearance of great strength, fully justified
his reputation ; and his adventures furnish ample materials
for a romance. During the first campaigns of Germany,
being charged with a message from the French government
CHARLES SULMETTER. 217
to one of the most prominent persons in the Austrian
army, he passed among the enemy disguised as a German
peddler, furnished with regular passports, and provided
with a complete stock of diamonds and jewelry. He was
betrayed, arrested, and searched; and the letter concealed
in the double bottom of a gold box was found, and very
foolishly read before him. He was tried and condemned to
death, and delivered to the soldiers by whom he was to be
executed ; but as night had arrived by this time, they post-
poned his execution till morning. He recognized among
his guards a French deserter, talked with him, and prom-
ised him a large sum of money : he had wine brought, drank
with the soldiers, intoxicated them, and disguised in one of
their coats, escaped with the Frenchman. Before re-enter-
ing the camp, however, he found means to inform the
person for whom the letter was intended, of its contents,
and of what had happened.
Countersigns difficult to remember were often given in
the army in order to attract the soldiers' attention more
closely. One day the word was Pericles, Persepolis ; and
a captain of the guard who had a better knowledge of how
to command a charge than of Greek history and geography,
not hearing it distinctly, gave as the countersign, perce
fee/Use, which mistake furnished much amusement. The
old captain was not at all angry, and said that after all he
was not very far wrong.
The secretary of General Andreossy, Governor of
Vienna, had an unfortunate passion for gambling ; and
finding that he did not gain enough to pay his debts, sold
himself to the enemy. His correspondence was seized ; he
admitted his treachery, and was condemned to death, and
218 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
in confronting death evinced astonishing self-possession.
" Come nearer," said he to the soldiers who were to shoot,
" so that you may see me better, and I will have less to
suffer."
In one of his excursions in the environs of Vienna, the
Emperor met a very young conscript who was rejoining his
corps. He stopped him, asked his name, his age, regiment,
and country. "Monsieur," said the soldier, who did not
know hini, " my name is Martin ; I am seventeen years old,
and from the Upper Pyrenees." — " You are a Frenchman,
then?" — "Yes, Monsieur." — "Ah, you are a miserable
Frenchman. Disarm this man, and hang him!" — "Yes,
you fool, I am French," repeated the conscript; "and
vive VEmpereur!" His Majesty was much amused; the
conscript was undeceived, congratulated, and hastened to
rejoin his comrades, with the promise of a reward, — a
promise which the Emperor was not slow to perform.
Two or three days before his departure from Schoen-
brunn, the Emperor again came near being assassinated.
This time the attack was to have been made by a woman.
The Countess at this time was well known, both
on account of her astonishing beauty and the scandal of
her liaisons with Lord Paget,1 the English ambassador.
It would be hard to find words which would truthfully
describe the grace and charms of this lady, whom the best
society of Vienna admitted only with the greatest repug-
nance, but who consoled herself for their scorn by receiving
at her own house the most brilliant part of the French army.
1 Henry William Paget, afterward Lord Anglesey, British statesman
and general, born 1768, served in Holland and Spain, lost his leg at Waterloo,
died 1854. — Trans.
ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION. 219
An army contractor conceived the idea of procuring
this lady for the Emperor, and, without informing his
Majesty, made propositions to the countess through one
of his friends, a cavalry officer attached to the military
police of the town of Vienna.
The cavalry officer thought he was representing his
Majesty, and in good faith said to the countess that his
Majesty was exceedingly anxious to see her at Schoen-
brunn. One morning, accordingly, he made propositions
for that evening, which, appearing somewhat abrupt to the
countess, she did not decide at once, but demanded a day
for reflection, adding that she must have good proof that
the Emperor was really sincere in this matter. The officer
protested his sincerity, promised, moreover, to give every
proof she required, and made an appointment for that even-
ing. Having given the contractor an account of his nego-
tiation, the latter gave orders that a carriage, escorted by
the cavalry officer, should be ready for the countess on the
evening indicated. At the appointed hour the officer re-
turned to the countess, expecting her to accompany him,
but she begged him to return next day, saying that she
had not yet decided, and needed the night for longer reflec-
tion. At the officer's solicitations she decided, however,
and appointed the next day, giving her word of honor to
be ready at the appointed hour.
The carriage was then sent away, and ordered for the
next evening at the same hour. This time the contractor's
envoy found the countess well disposed ; she received him
gajdy, eagerly even, and told him that she had given orders
in regard to her affairs as if she were going on a journey ;
then, regarding him fixedly, said, tutoying him, " You may
220 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
return in an hour and I will be ready; I will go to him,
you may rely upon it. Yesterday I had business to finish,
but to-day I am free. If you are a good Austrian, you will
prove it to me; you know how much harm he has done
our country ! This evening our country will be avenged !
Come for me ; do not fail ! "
The cavalry officer, frightened at such a confidence
as this, was unwilling to accept the responsibility, and re-
peated everything at the chateau ; in return for which the
Emperor rewarded him generously, urged him for his own
sake not to see the countess again, and expressly forbade
his having anything more to do with the matter. All
these -dangers in no wise • depressed the Emperor ; and he
had a habit of saying, "What have I to fear? I cannot
be assassinated; I can die only on the field of battle."
But even on the field of battle he took no care of him-
self, and at Essling, for example, exposed himself like a
chief of battalion who wants to be a colonel ; bullets slew
those in front, behind, beside him, but he did not budge.
It was then that a terrified general cried, " Sire, if your
Majesty does not retire, it will be necessary for me to have
you carried off by my grenadiers." This anecdote proves
whether the Emperor took any precautions in regard to
himself. The signs of exasperation manifested by the in-
habitants of Vienna made him very watchful, however, for
the safety of his troops, and he expressly forbade their
leaving their cantonments in the evening. His Majesty
was afraid for them.
The chateau of Schoenbrunn was the rendezvous of all
the illustrious savants of Germany ; and no new work, no
curious invention, appeared, but the Emperor immediately
AT SCHOENBRUNN. 221
gave orders to have the author presented to him. It was
thus that M. Maekel, the famous inventor of metronomy,
was allowed the honor of exhibiting before his Majesty-
several of his own inventions. The Emperor admired the
artificial limbs intended to replace more comfortably and
satisfactorily than wooden ones those carried off by balls,
and gave him orders to have a wagon constructed to con-
vey the wounded from the field of battle. This wagon
was to be of such a kind that it could be folded up and
easily carried behind men on horseback, who accompanied
the army, such as surgeons, aides, servants, etc. M. Mael-
zel had also built an automaton known throughout Europe
under the name of the chessplayer, which he brought to
Schoenbrunn to show to his Majesty, and set it up in the
apartments of the Prince de Neuchatel. The Emperor
visited the Prince ; and I, in company with several other
persons, accompanied him, and found this automaton seated
before a table on which the chessmen were arranged.
His Majesty took a chair, and seating himself in front of
the automaton, said, with a laugh, "Come, my comrade,
we are ready." The automaton bowed and made a sign
with his hand to the Emperor, as if to tell him to begin,
upon which the game commenced. The Emperor made
two or three moves, and intentionally made a wrong one.
The automaton bowed, took the piece, and put it in its
proper place. His Majesty cheated a second time; the
automaton bowed again, and took the piece. " That is
right," said the Emperor; and when he cheated a third
time, the automaton, passing his hand over the chess-board,
spoiled the game.
The Emperor complimented the inventor highly. As
222 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
we left the room, accompanied by the Prince de Neuchatel'
we found in the antechamber two young girls, who pre-
sented to the prince, in the name of their mother, a basket
of beautiful fruit. As the prince welcomed them with an
air of familiarity, the Emperor, curious to find out who they
were, drew near and questioned them ; but they did not
understand French. Some one then told his Majesty that
these two pretty girls were daughters of a good woman,
whose life Marshal Berthier had saved in 1805. On this
occasion he was alone on horseback, the cold was terrible,
and the ground covered with snow, when he perceived,
lying at the foot of a tree, a woman who appeared to be
dying, and had been seized with a stupor. The marshal
took her in his arms, and placed her on his horse with his
cloak wrapped around her, and thus conveyed her to her
home, where her daughters were mourning her absence. He
left without making himself known; but they recognized
him at the capture of Vienna, and every week the two
sisters came to see their benefactor, bringing him flowers
or fruit as a token of their gratitude.
EXCURSION TO RAAB. 223
CHAPTER XXII.
Excursion to Raab. — The bishop and Soliman. — M. Jardin's mistake. —
Sympathy of the Emperor. — A painful duty. — Chouans of Normandy.
— The female brigand. — Heart-rending scene. — Conjugal tenderness.
— Despair and madness. — Appointment for a hunt with the Archduke
Charles. — Departure from Schoenbrunn. — Arrival at Passau. — The
widow of a German physician. — Terror of the inhabitants of Augsburg.
— Kindness of General Lecourbe. — A grenadier's act of humanity. —
Maternal despair and joy. — The Emperor's rapid journey. — Arrival at
Fontainehleau. — The Emperor's ill-humor. — The Emperor's partiality
for the manufactures of Lyons. — A forced walk of his Majesty. — The
Emperor's harsh welcome to the Empress. — Josephine's tears. — The Em-
peror's reparation.
Towards the end of September the Emperor made a
journey to Raab; and, as he was mounting his horse to
return to his residence at Schoenbrunn, he saw the bishop
a few steps from him. "Is not that the bishop? " said he
to M. Jardin, who was holding his horse's head. " No,
Sire, it is Soliman." — "I asked you if that was not the
bishop," repeated his Majesty, pointing to the prelate.
M. Jardin, intent on business, and thinking only of the
Emperor's horse which bore the name of Bishop, again re-
plied, " Sire, you forget that you rode him on the last
relay." The Emperor now perceived the mistake, and
broke into a laugh. I was witness at Wagram of an act
which furnished a fine illustration of the Emperor's kind-
ness of heart and consideration for others, of which I have
already given several instances ; for, although in the one I
shall now relate, he was forced to refuse an act of clemency,
224 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
his very refusal challenges admiration as an exhibition of
the generosity and greatness of his soul.
A very rich woman, named Madame de Combray, who
lived near Caen, allowed her chateau to be occupied by a
band of royalists, who seemed to think they upheld their
cause worthily by robbing diligences on the highway. She
constituted herself treasurer of this band of partisans, and
consigned the funds thus obtained to a pretended treasurer
of Louis XVIII. Her daughter, Madame Aquet, joined this
troop, and, dressed in men's clothing, showed most conspic-
uous bravery. Their exploits, however, were not of long
duration; and pursued and overcome by superior forces,
they were brought to trial, and Madame Aquet was con-
demned to death with her accomplices. By means of a
pretended illness she obtained a reprieve, of which she
availed herself to employ every means in her power to
obtain a pardon, and finally, after eight months of useless
supplications, decided to send her children to Germany to
intercede with the Emperor. Her physician, accompanied
by her sister and two daughters, reached Schoenbrunn just
as the Emperor had gone to visit the field of Wagram, and
for an entire day awaited the Emperor's return on the steps
of the palace ; and these children, one ten, the other twelve,
years old, excited much interest. Notwithstanding this,
their mother's crime was a terrible one ; for although in
political matters opinions may not be criminal, yet under
every form of government opinions are punished, if thereby
one becomes a robber and an assassin. The children, clothed
in black, threw themselves at the Emperor's feet, crying,
" Pardon, pardon, restore to us our mother." The Emperor
raised them tenderly, took the petition from the hands of
THE CASE OF MADAME AQUET. 225
the aunt, read every word attentively, then questioned the
physician with much interest, looked at the children, hesi-
tated — but just as I, with all who witnessed this touching
scene, thought he was going to pronounce her pardon, he
recoiled several steps, exclaiming, "I cannot do it!" His
changing color, eyes suffused with tears, and choking voice,
gave evidence of the struggle through which he was passing ;
and witnessing this, his refusal appeared to me an act of
sublime courage.
Following upon the remembrance of these violent crimes,
so much the more worthy of condemnation since they were
the work of a woman, who, in order to abandon herself to
them, was forced to begin by trampling under foot all the
gentle and modest virtues of her sex, I find recorded in
my notes an act of fidelity and conjugal tenderness which
well deserved a better result. The wife of an infantry
colonel, unwilling to be parted from her husband, followed
the march of his regiment in a coach, and on the d-dys of
battle mounted a horse and kept herself as near as possible
to the line. At Friedland she saw the colonel fall, pierced
by a ball, hastened to him with her servant, carried him
from the ranks, and bore him away in an ambulance, though
too late, for he was already dead. Her grief was silent,
and no one saw her shed a tear. She offered her purse to a
surgeon, and begged him to embalm her husband's corpse,
which was done as well as possible under the circumstances ;
and she then had the corpse wrapped in bandages, placed
in a box with a lid, and put in a carriage, and seating
herself beside it, the heart-broken widow set out on her
return to France. A grief thus repressed soon affected
her mind ; and at each halt she made on the journey, she
226 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
shut herself up with her precious burden, drew the corpse
from its box, placed it on a bed, uncovered its face, and
lavished on it the most tender caresses, talking to it as if
it was living, and slept beside it. In the morning she re-
placed her husband in the box, and, resuming her gloomy
silence, continued her route. For several days her secret
remained unknown, and was discovered only a few days
before she reached Paris.
The body had not been embalmed in such a manner as
to preserve it long from decay ; and this soon reached such
a point, that, when she arrived at an inn, the horrible odor
from the box aroused suspicion, and the unhappy wife's
room was entered that evening, and she was found clasping
in her arms the already sadly disfigured corpse of her hus-
band. "Silence," she cried to the frightened innkeeper.
" My husband is asleep, why do you come to disturb his glo-
rious rest? " With much difficulty the corpse was removed
from the arms of the insane woman who had guarded it
with such jealous care, and she was conveyed to Paris,
where she afterward died, without recovering her reason
for an instant.
There was much astonishment at the chateau of Schoen-
brunn because the Archduke Charles never appeared there ;
for he was known to be much esteemed by the Emperor,
who never spoke of him except with the highest considera-
tion. I am entirely ignorant what motives prevented the
prince from coming to Schoenbrunn, or the Emperor from
visiting him ; but, nevertheless, it is a fact, that, two or three
days before his departure from Munich, his Majesty one
morning attended a hunting-party, composed of several
officers and myself; and that we stopped at a hunting-box
DEPARTURE FROM SCHOEXBRUXX. 2_!7
called la Venerie on the road between Vienna and Bukus-
dorf, and on our arrival we found the Archduke Charles
awaiting his Majesty, attended by a suite of only two per-
sons. The Emperor and the archduke remained for a long
while alone in the pavilion ; and we did not return to Schoen-
brunn until late in the evening.
On the 16th of October at noon the Emperor left this
residence with his suite, composed of the grand marshal,
the Duke of Frioul ; Generals Rapp, Mouton, Savary, Nan-
souty, Durosnel 2 and Lebrun ; of three chamberlains ; of
M. Labbe, chief of the topographical bureau ; of M. de
Meneval, his Majesty's secretary, and M. Yvan ; and accom-
panied by the Duke of Bassano, and the Duke of ('adore,
then minister of foreign relations.
We arrived at Passau on the morning of the 18th ;
and the Emperor passed the entire day in visiting Forts
Maximilian and Napoleon, and also seven or eight redoubts
whose names recalled the principal battles of the campaign.
More than twelve thousand men were working on these
important fortifications, to whom his Majesty's visit was a
fete. That evening we resumed our journey, and two days
after we were at Munich.
At Augsburg, on leaving the palace of the Elector of
Treves, the Emperor found in his path a woman kneeling
in the dust, surrounded by four children ; he raised her up
and inquired kindly what she desired. The poor woman,
without replying, handed his Majesty a petition written in
German, which General Rapp translated. She was the
widow of a German physician named Buiting, who had
1 Antoine Jean Auguste Henri Durosnel, born in Paris, 1771 ; in 1809
general of division and aide-de-camp to Napoleon ; peer, 1837 ; died 1849.
228 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
died a short time since, and was well known in the army
from his faithfulness in ministering to the wounded French
soldiers when by chance any fell into his hands. The
Elector of Treves, and many persons of the Emperor's
suite, supported earnestly this petition of Madame Buiting,
whom her husband's death had reduced almost to poverty,
and in which she besought the Emperor's aid for the chil-
dren of this German physician, whose attentions had saved
the lives of so many of his brave soldiers. His Majesty
gave orders to pay the petitioner the first year's salary of
a pension which he at once allowed her; and when General
Rapp had informed the widow of the Emperor's action, the
poor woman fainted with a cry of joy.
I witnessed another scene which was equally as touch-
ing. When the Emperor was on the march to Vienna,
the inhabitants of Augsburg, who had been guilty of some
acts of cruelty towards the Bavarians, trembled lest his
Majesty should take a terrible revenge on them ; and
this terror was at its height when it was learned that a
part of the French army was to pass through the town.
A young woman of remarkable beauty, only a few
months a widow, had retired to this place with her child
in the hope of being more quiet than anywhere else, but,
frightened by the approach of the troops, fled with her
child in her arms. But, instead of avoiding our soldiers
as she intended, she left Augsburg by the wrong gate, and
fell into the midst of the advance posts of the French
army. Fortunately, she encountered General Lecourbe,
and trembling, and almost beside herself with terror, con-
jured him on her knees to save her honor, even at the ex
pense of her life, and immediately swooned away. Moved
THE LOST CHILD. 229
even to tears, the general showed her every attention,
ordered a safe-conduct given her, and an escort to accom-
pany her to a neighboring town, where she had stated that
several of her relatives lived. The order to march was
given at the same instant ; and, in the midst of the general
commotion which ensued, the child was forgotten by those
who escorted the mother, and left in the outposts. A
brave grenadier took charge of it, and, ascertaining where
the poor mother had been taken, pledged himself to restore
it to her at the earliest possible moment, unless a ball
should carry him off before the return of the army. He
made a leather pocket, in which he carried his young pro-
tege, arranged so that it was sheltered from the weather.
Each time he went into battle the good grenadier dug a
hole in the ground, in which he placed the little one, and
returned for it when the battle was over; and though his
comrades ridiculed him the first day, they could not but
fail to admire the nobility of his conduct. The child es-
caped all danger, thanks to the incessant care of its adopted
father; and, when the march to Munich was again begun,
the grenadier, who was singularly attached to the little
waif, almost regretted to see the moment draw near when
he must restore it to its mother.
It may easily be understood what this poor woman suf-
fered after losing her child. She besought and entreated
the soldiers who escorted her to return ; but they had their
orders, which nothing could cause them to infringe. Im-
mediately on her arrival she set out again on her return to
Augsburg, making inquiries in all directions, but could
obtain no information of her son, and at last being con-
vinced that he was dead, wept bitterly for him. She had
230 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
mourned thus for nearly six months, when the army re-
passed Augsburg ; and, while at work alone in her room
one day, she was told that a soldier wished to see her, and
had something precious to commit to her care ; but he was
unable to leave his corps, and must beg her to meet him on
the public square. Little suspecting the happiness in store
for her, she sought the grenadier, and the latter leaving the
ranks, pulled the " little good man " out of his pocket, and
placed him in the arms of the poor mother, who could not
believe the evidence of her own eyes. Thinking that this
lady was probably not rich, this excellent man had collected
a sum of money, which he had placed in one of the pockets
of the little one's coat.
The Emperor remained only a short time at Munich;
and the day of his arrival a courier was sent in haste by
the grand marshal to M. de Lucay to inform him that his
Majesty would be at Fontainebleau on the 27th of October,
in the evening probably, and that the household of the
Emperor, as well as that of the Empress, should be at this
residence to receive his Majesty. But, instead of arriving
on the evening of the 27th, the Emperor had traveled
with such speed, that, on the 26th at ten o'clock in the
morning, he was at the gates of the palace of Fontainebleau ;
and consequently, with the exception of the grand marshal,
a courier, and the gate-keeper of Fontainebleau, he found
no one to receive him on his descent from the carriage.
This mischance, which was very natural, since it had been
impossible to foresee an advance of more than a day in the
time appointed, nevertheless incensed the Emperor greatly.
He was regarding every one around him as if searching for
some one to scold, when, finding that the courier was pre-
RETURN TO FONTAINEBLEAU. 231
paring to alight from his horse, on which he was more
stuck than seated, he said to him : " You can rest to-mor-
row ; hasten to Saint-Cloud and announce my arrival," and
the poor courier recommenced his furious gallop.
This accident, which vexed his Majesty so greatly, could
not be considered the fault of any one ; for by the orders
of the grand marshal, received from the Emperor, M.
de Lucay had commanded their Majesties' service to be
ready on the morning of the next day. Consequently, that
evening was the earliest hour at which the service could
possibly be expected to arrive; and he was compelled to
wait until then.
During this time of waiting, the Emperor employed him-
self in visiting the new apartments that had been added to
the chateau. The building in the court of the Cheval-
Blanc, which had been formerly used as a military school,
had been restored, enlarged, and decorated with extraordi-
nary magnificence, and had been turned entirely into apart-
ments of honor, in order, as his Majesty said, to give
employment to the manufacturers of Lyons, whom the war
deprived of any outside market. After repeated prome-
nades in all directions, the Emperor seated himself with
every mark of extreme impatience, asking every moment
what time it was, or looking at his watch; and at last
ordered me to prepare writing materials, and took his seat
all alone at a little table, doubtless swearing internally at
his secretaries, who had not arrived.
At five o'clock a carriage came from Saint-Cloud ; and as
the Emperor heard it roll into the court he descended the
stairs rapidly, and while a footman was opening the door
and lowering the steps, he said to the persons inside :
232 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
" Where is the Empress?" The answer was given that
her Majesty the Empress would arrive in a quarter of an
hour at most. "That is well," said the Emperor; and
turning his back, quickly remounted the stairs and entered
a little study, where he prepared himself for work.
At last the Empress arrived, exactly at six o'clock. It
was now dark. The Emperor this time did not go down ;
but listening until he learned that it was her Majesty, con-
tinued to write, without interrupting himself to go and meet
her. It was the first time he had acted in this manner.
The Empress found him seated in the cabinet. "Ah!"
said his Majesty, " have you arrived, Madame ? It is well,
for I was about to set out for Saint-Cloud." And the
Emperor, who had simply lifted his eyes from his work to
glance at her Majesty, lowered them again, and resumed his
writing. This harsh greeting distressed Josephine exceed-
ingly, and she attempted to excuse herself; but his Majesty
replied in such a manner as to bring tears to her eyes,
though he afterwards repented of this, and begged pardon
of the Empress, acknowledging that he had been wrong.
OPINIONS OF NAPOLEON'S DIVOUCE. 233
CHAPTER XXIII.
Erroneous opinions as to the divorce. — The Emperor's motives. — Tender
attentions. — Painful sacrifice. — Courage and resignation of the Em-
press.— A disappointed guest. — The Emperor's gayety. — The King of
Saxony at Fontainebleau. — Friendship of the two monarchs. — Excur-
sion on foot to the bridge of Jena. — The eye of the master. — Compli-
ment of the King of Saxony to his Majesty. — Preoccupation of the
Emperor. — Embarrassment of the Emperor and Empress. — Mutual
constraint. — Sadness of the stay at Fontainebleau. — The Emperor's
dejection. — The 30th of November. — A mournful repast. — A terrible
scene. — The Empress faints. — "Words uttered by the Emperor. — Fetes
given by the city of Paris. — The pitiable condition of the Empress. —
Inexpressible enthusiasm. — The Emperor's agitation. — Description of
a grand imperial hunt. — Arrival of Prince Eugene. — His despair. —
Interview between the Emperor and the vice-king. — Touching words
of the Emperor. — Nocturnal visit of Josephine. — Josephine's departure
for Malmaison.
It is not, as has been stated in some Memoirs, because
and as a result of the slight disagreement which I have
related above, that the first idea of a divorce came to his
Majesty. The Emperor thought it necessary for the wel-
fare of France that he should have an heir of his own line ;
and as it was now certain that the Empress would never
bear him one, he was ((impelled to think of a divorce. But
it was by most gentle means, and with every mark of tender
consideration, that he strove to bring the Empress to this
pamiTil sacrifice. He had no recourse, as has been said, to
either threats or menaces, for it was to his wife's reason
that he appealed ; and her consent was entirely voluntary.
I repeat that there was no violence on the part of the
234 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
Emperor; but there was courage, resignation, and submis-
sion on that of the Empress. Her devotion to the Emperor
would have made her submit to any sacrifice, she would
have given her life for him; and although this separation
might break her own heart, she still found consolation in
the thought that by this means she would save the one she
loved more than all beside from even one cause of distress
or anxiety. And when she learned that the King of Rome
was born, she lost sight of her own disappointment in sym-
pathizing with the happiness of her friend; for they had
always treated each other with all the attention and respect
of the most perfect friendship.
The Emperor had taken, during the whole day of the
26th, only a cup of chocolate and a little soup ; and I had
heard him complain of hunger several times before the
Empress arrived. Peace being restored, the husband and
wife embraced each other tenderly, and the Empress passed
on into her apartments in order to make her toilet. During
this time the Emperor received Messieurs Decres and De
Montalivet,1 whom he had summoned in the morning by a
mounted messenger ; and about half-past seven the Empress
reappeared, dressed in perfect taste. In spite of the cold,
she had had her hair dressed with silver wheat and blue
flowers, and wore a white satin polonaise, edged with swan's
down, which costume was exceedingly becoming. The
Emperor interrupted his work to regard her. "I did not
take long at my toilet, did I ? " said she, smiling ; where-
upon his Majesty, without replying, showed her the clock,
i Count Jean Pierre Bachasson de Montalivet, born near Sarreguemines,
1766 ; counselor of state, 1805 ; minister of interior, 1809 ; peer, 1819 ; died
1823.— Trans.
THE EMPEROR'S GAYETY. 235
then rose, gave her his hand, and was about to enter the
dining-room, saying to Messieurs De Montalivet and Decres,
" I will be with you in five minutes." — " But," said the
Empress, " these gentlemen have perhaps not yet dined, as
they have come from Paris." — " Ah, that is so ! " and the
ministers entered the dining-room with their Majesties. But
hardly had the Emperor taken his seat, than he rose, threw
aside his napkin, and re-entered his cabinet, where these
gentlemen were compelled to follow him, though much
against their inclinations.
The day ended better than it had begun. In the evening
there was a reception, not large, but most agreeable, at
which the Emperor was very gay, and in excellent humor,
and acted as if anxious to efface the memory of the little
scene with the Empress. Their Majesties remained at Fon-
tainebleau till the 14th of November. The King of Saxony
had arrived the evening before at Paris ; and the Emperor,
who rode on horseback nearly all the way from Fontainebleau
to Paris, repaired on his arrival to the Palace de l'filysee.
The two monarchs appeared very agreeably impressed with
each other, and went in public together almost every day,
and one morning early left the Tuileries on foot, each ac-
companied hy a single escort. I was with the Emperor.
They directed their steps, following the course of the stream,
towards the bridge of Jena, the work on which was being
rapidly carried to completion, and reached the Place de la
Revolution, where fifty or sixty persons collected with the
intention of accompanying the two sovereigns ; but as this
seemed to annoy the Emperor, agents of the police caused
them to disperse. When he had reached the bridge, his
Majesty examined the work attentively ; and finding some
236 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
defects in the construction, had the architect called, who
admitted the correctness of his observations, although, in
order to convince him, the Emperor had to talk for some
time, and often repeated the same explanations. His Maj-
esty, turning then towards the King of Saxony, said to him,
"You see, my cousin, that the master's eye is necessary
everywhere." — " Yes," replied the King of Saxony; " espe-
cially an eye so well trained as your Majesty's."
We had not been long at Fontainebleau, when I noticed
that the Emperor in the presence of his august spouse was
preoccupied and ill at ease. The same uneasiness was
visible on the countenance of the Empress ; and this state
of constraint and mutual embarrassment soon became suffi-
ciently evident to be remarked by all, and rendered the
stay at Fontainebleau extremely sad and depressing. At
Paris the presence of the King of Saxony made some
diversion ; but the Empress appeared more unhappy than
ever, which gave rise to numerous conjectures, but as for
me, I knew only too well the cause of it all. The Em-
peror's brow became more furrowed with care each day,
until the 30th of November arrived.
On that day the dinner was more silent than ever. The
Empress had wept the whole day; and in order to conceal
as far as possible her pallor, and the redness of her eyes,
wore a large white hat tied under her chin, the brim of
which concealed her face entirely. The Emperor sat in
silence, his eyes fastened on his plate, while from time
to time convulsive movements agitated his countenance ;
and if he happened to raise his eyes, glanced stealthily
at the Empress with unmistakable signs of distress. The
officers of the household, immovable as statues, regarded
JOSEPHINE'S DESPAIR. 237
this painful and gloomy scene ^yith sad anxiety; while
the whole repast was simply a form, as their Majesties
touched nothing, and no sound was heard but the regu-
lar movement of plates placed and carried away, varied
sadly by the monotonous tones of the household officers,
and the tinkling sound made by the Emperor's striking
his knife mechanically on the edge of his glass. Once
only his Majesty broke the silence by a deep sigh, fol-
lowed by these words addressed to one of the officers :
"What time is it?" An aimless question of the Em-
peror's, it seemed, for he did not hear, or at any rate
did not seem to hear, the answer; but almost immediately
he rose from the table, and the Empress followed him
with slow steps, and her handkerchief pressed against her
lips as if to suppress her sobs. Coffee was brought, and,
according to custom, a page presented the waiter to the
Empress that she might herself pour it out; but the Em-
peror took it himself, poured the coffee in the cup, and
dissolved the sugar, still regarding the Empress, who re-
mained standing as if struck with a stupor. He drank,
and returned the cup to the page ; then gave a signal that
he wished to be alone, and closed the door of the saloon.
I remained outside seated by the door; and soon no one
remained in the dining-room except one of the prefects
of the palace, who wTalked up and down with folded arms,
foreseeing, as well as I, terrible events. At the end of
a few moments I heard cries, and sprang up ; just then the
Emperor opened the door quickly, looked out, and saw
there no one but us two. The Empress lay on the floor,
screaming as if her heart were breaking : " No ; you will
not do it ! You would not kill me ! " The usher of the
238 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
room had his back turned. I advanced towards him; he
understood, and went out. His Majesty ordered the person
who was with me to enter, and the door was again closed.
I have since learned that the Emperor requested him to
assist him in carrying the Empress to her apartment^
"She has," he said, "a violent nervous attack, and her
condition requires most prompt attention." M. de B
with the Emperor's assistance raised the Empress in his
arms; and the Emperor, taking a lamp from the mantel,
lighted M. de B along the passage from which as-
cended the little staircase leading to the apartments of
the Empress. This staircase was so narrow, that a man
with such a burden could not go down without great
risk of falling; and M. de B , having called his Maj-
esty's attention to this, he summoned the keeper of the
portfolio, whose duty it was to be always at the door of
the Emperor's cabinet which opened on this staircase, and
gave him the light, which was no longer needed, as the
lamps had just been lighted. His Majesty passed in front
of the keeper, who still held the light, and carrying the
feet of the Empress himself, descended the staircase safely
with M. de B ; and they thus reached the bedroom.
The Emperor rang for her women, and when they en-
tered, retired with tears in his eyes and every sign of
the deepest emotion. This scene affected him so deeply that
he said to M. de B in a trembling, broken tone, some
words which he must never reveal under any circum-
stances. The Emperor's agitation must have been very
great for him to have informed M. de B of the
cause of her Majesty's despair, and to have told him that
the interests of France and of the Imperial Dynasty had
JOSEPHINE'S ILLNESS. 239
done violence to his heart, and the divorce had become a
dutvj deplorable and painful, but none the less a duty.
Queen Hortense and M. Corvisart soon reached the
Enapress, who passed a miserable night. The Emperor
also did not sleep, and rose many times to ascertain Jose-
phine's condition. During the whole night her Majesty
did not utter a word. I have never witnessed such grief.
Immediately after this, the King of Naples, the King
of Westphalia, the King of Wiirtemberg, and the king and
princesses of the Imperial family, arrived at Paris to be
present at the fetes given by the city of Paris to his
Majesty in commemoration of the victories and the paci-
fication of Germany, and at the same time to celebrate
the anniversary of the coronation. The session of the
legislative corps was also about to open. It was neces-
sary, in the interval between the scene which I have just
described and the day on which the decree of divorce was
signed, that the Empress should be present on all these
occasions, and attend all these fetes, under the eyes of an
immense crowd of people, at a time when solitude alone
could have in any degree alleviated her sorrow; it was also
necessary that she should cover up her face with rouge
in order to conceal her pallor and the signs of a month
passed in tears. What tortures she endured, and how
much she must have bewailed this elevation, of which
nothing remained to her but the necessity of concealing
her feelings !
On the 3d of December their Majesties repaired to
Notre Dame, where a Te Deum was sung; after which the
Imperial cortege marched to the palace of the Corps Legis-
latif, and the opening of the session was held with unusual
240 &ECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
magnificence. The Emperor took his place amidst inex-
pressible enthusiasm, and never had his appearance excited
such bursts of applause : even the Empress was more cheer-
ful for an instant, and seemed to enjoy these proofs of
affection for one who was soon to be no longer her hus-
band; but when he began to speak she relapsed into her
gloomy reflections.
It was almost five o'clock when the cortege returned to
the Tuileries, and the Imperial banquet was to take place
at half-past seven. During this interval, a reception of the
ambassadors was held, after which the guests passed on to
the gallery of Diana.
The Emperor held a grand dining in his coronation
robes, and wearing his plumed hat, which he did not re-
move for an instant. He ate more than was his custom,
notwithstanding the distress under which he seemed to be
laboring, glanced around and behind him every moment,
causing the grand chamberlain continually to bend forward
to receive orders which he did not give. The Empress was
seated in front of him, most magnificently dressed in an
embroidered robe blazing with diamonds ; but her face
expressed even more suffering than in the morning.
On the right of the Emperor was seated the King of
Saxony, in a white uniform with red facings, and collar
richly embroidered in silver, wearing a false cue of pro-
digious length.
By the side of the King of Saxony was the King of
Westphalia, Jerome Bonaparte, in a white satin tunic,
and girdle ornamented with pearls and diamonds, which
reached almost up to his arms. His neck was bare and
white, and he wore no whiskers and very little beard;
AN IMPERIAL BANQUET. 241
a collar of magnificent lace fell over his shoulders ; and a
black velvet cap ornamented with white plumes, which was
the most elegant in the assembly, completed this costume.
Next him was the King of Wurtemberg with his enormous
stomach, which forced him to sit some distance from the
table ; and the King of Naples, in so magnificent a costume
that it might almost be considered extravagant, covered
with crosses and stars, Avho played with his fork, . without
gating or drinking.
On the right of the Empress was Madame Mere, the
Queen of Westphalia, the Princess Borghese, and Queen
(lortense, pale as the Empress, but rendered only more
beautiful by her sadness, her face presenting a striking
contrast on this occasion to that of the Princess Pauline,
who never appeared in better spirits. Princess Pauline
wore an exceedingly handsome toilet; but this did not
increase the charms of her person nearly so much as that
worn by the Queen of Holland, winch, though simple, was
elegant and full of taste.
Next day a magnificent fete was held at the Hotel de
Ville, where the Empress displayed her accustomed grace
and kind consideration. This was the last time she ap-
peared on occasions of ceremony.
A few days after all these rejoicings, the ViceJdllg of
Italy, Eugene de Beauharnais, arrived, and learned from
the lips of the Empress herself the terrible measure which
circumstances were about to render necessary. This news
overcame him: agitated and despairing, he sought his Maj-
esty ; and, as if he could not believe what he had just
heard, asked the Emperor if it was true that a divorce was
about to^take place. The Emperor made a sign in the
242 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
affirmative, and, with deep grief depicted on his counte-
nance, held out his hand to his adopted son. u Sire, allow
me to quit your service." — ""What!"'—" Yes, Sire; the son
of one who is no longer Empress cannot remain vice-king.
I wish to accompany my mother to her retreat, and console
her." — " Do you wish to leave me, Eugene ? You ? Ah,
yon do not know h< >w imperious are the reasons which force
me to pursue such a course. And if I obtain this son, the
object of my most cherished wishes, this son who is so
necessary to me, who will take my place with him when I
shall be absent? Who will be a father to him when I "die?
Who will rear him, and who will make a man of him?"
Tears filled the Emperor's eyes as he pronounced these
words ; he again took Eugene's hand, and drawing him
to his arms, embraced him tenderly. I did not hear the
remainder of this interesting conversation.
• At last the fatal day arrived ; it was the 16th cf De-
cember. The Imperial family were assembled in ceremo-
nial costume, when the Empress entered in a simple white
dress, entirely devoid of ornament; she was pale, but
calm, and leaned on the arm of Queen Hortense, who was
equally as pale, and much more agitated than her august
mother. The Prince de Beauharnais stood beside the Em-
peror, and trembled so violently that it was thought he
would fall every moment. When the Empress entered,
Count Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angely1 read the act of
separation.
This was heard in the midst of profound silence, and
the deepest concern was depicted on eveiy face. The
Empress appeared calmer than any one else in the assem-
l Born at St. Fargeau, 1762 ; counselor of state, 1800 ; died 1819. — Trans.
THE DIVORCE. 243
fblage, although tears incessantly flowed from her eyes. She'
i was seated in an armchair in the midst of the saloon,
resting her elbow on a table, while Queen Hortense stood
sobbing behind her. The reading of the act ended, the
Empress rose, dried her eyes, and in a voice which was
almost firm, pronounced the words of assent, then seated
herself in a chair, took a pen from the hand of M. Regnaud
de Saint-Jean d'Angely, and signed the act. She then
withdrew, leaning on the arm of Queen Hortense ; and
Prince Eugene endeavored to retire at the same moment
through the cabinet, but his strength failed, and he fell
insensible between the two doors. The cabinet usher im-
mediately raised him up, and committed him to the care
of his aide-de-camp, who lavished on him every attention
which his sad condition demanded.
During this terrible ceremony the Emperor uttered not
a word, made not a gesture, but stood immovable as a
statue, his gaze fixed and almost wild, and remained silent
and gloomy all day. In the evening, when he had just
retired, as I was awaitmg^Eis last orders, the door opened,
and the Empress entered, her hair in disorder, and her coun-
tenance showing great agitation. This sight terrified me.
Josephine (for she was now no more than Josephine) ad-
vanced towards the Emperor with a trembling step, and
when she reached him, paused, and weeping in the most
heartrending manner, threw herself on the bed, placed her
arms around the Emperor's neck, and lavished on him
most endearing caresses. I cannot describe my emotions.
The Emperor wept also, sat up and pressed Josephine to
his heart, saying to her, "Come, my good Josephine, be-
more reasonable ! Come, courage, courage ; I will always
244 EECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
be your friend." Stifled by her sobs, the Empress could
not reply ; and there followed a silent scene, in which their
tears and sobs flowed together, and said more than the
tenderest expressions could have done. At last- his Maj-
esty, recovering from this momentary forgetfulness as from
a dream, perceived that I was there, and said to me in a
voice choked with tears, " Withdraw, Constant." I obeyed,
and went into the adjoining saloon; and an hour after
Josephine passed me, still sad and in tears, giving me a
kind nod as she passed. 1 then returned to the sleeping-
room to remove the light as usual ; the Emperor was
silent as death, and so covered with the bedclothes that
his face could not be seen.
The next morning when I entered the Emperor's room
he did not mention this visit of the Empress ; but I found
him suffering and dejected, and sighs which he could not
repress issued from his breast. He did not speak during
the whole time his toilet lasted, and as soon as it was com-
pleted entered his cabinet. This was the day on which
Josephine was to leave the Tuileries for Malmaison, and
all persons not engaged in their duties assembled in the
vestibule to see once more this dethroned empress whom
all hearts followed in her exile. They looked at her
without daring to speak, as Josephine appeared, completely
veiled, one hand resting on the shoulder of one of her
ladies, and the other holding a handkerchief to her eyes.
A concert of inexpressible lamentations arose as this adored
woman crossed the short space which separated her from
her carriage, and entered it without even a glance at the
palace she was quitting forever; the blinds were imme-
diately lowered, and the horses set off at full speed.
JOSEPHINE'S JEALOUSY OF MME. GAZANI. 245
CHAPTER XXIV.
Anecdotes anterior to the Emperor's second marriage. — The Empress Jose-
phine's jealousy of Madame Gazani. — The Emperor's interference. —
Change of roles. — Madame Gazani attacked hy the Emperor and de-
fended hy the Empress. — Furnishers shown to the door. — Female
conclave surprised hy the Emperor. — Milliner sent to Bicetre. — Great
scandal. — The Emperor's indifference. — Audacity of a dressmaker. —
The Emperor censured to his face. — Constant's fear. — Precipitate
retreat. — The Emperor needing Constant's piesenee. — The Emperor
wishing Constant to write at his dictation. — Constant's refusal. —
Special permission to hunt granted to Constant. — Gun given Constant
hy the Emperor. — The Emperor's preference for the guns of Louis XVI.
— Louis XVI. an excellent shot. — Napoleon's opinion of Louis XVI. —
Diplomatic hreakfasts. — The saloon and family portraits. — Constant's
cousin at the theater of Saint-Cloud. — Curiosity and delight. — I'uv-
vincial prudery. — Constant's cousin on guard against pickpockets at the
court theater. — Petitions presented to the Emperor hy Constant. — Poor
success of petition from the family of Cerf-Berr. — Complete success ot
Constant's petition for General Lemarrois. — Disgrace of Constant's ancle
unintentionally caused hy Marshal Bessieres. — The marshal's reparation.
— A woman's imprudence, and a husband's misfortune.
The marriage of the Emperor to Marie Louise was the
first step in a new career. He nattered himself tli.it it
would be as glorious as that lie had just brought to a close,
but it was to be far otherwise. Before entering on a re-
cital of the events of the year 1810, I shall narrate some
recollections, jotted down at random, which, although 1
can assign them no precise date, were, nevertheless, an-
terior to the period we have now reached.
The Empress Josephine had long been jealous of the
beautiful Madame Gazani, one of her readers, and treated
246 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
her coldly; and when she complained to the Emperor, he
spoke to Josephine on the subject, and requested her to
show more consideration for her reader, who deserved it on
account of her attachment to the person of the Empress,
and added that she was wrong in supposing that there was
between Madame Gazani and himself the least liaison. The
Empress, without being convinced by this last declaration
of the Emperor, had nevertheless become much more cor-
dial to Madame Gazani, when one morning the Emperor,
who apparently was afraid the beautiful Genoese might
obtain some ascendency over her, suddenly entered the
Empress's apartment, and said to her, " I do not wish to
see Madame Gazani here longer; she must return to Italy."
This time it was the good Josephine who defended her
reader. There were already rumors of a divorce ; and the
Empress remarked to his Majesty, " You know well, my
friend, that the best means of being rid of Madame Gazani's
presence is to allow her to remain with me. Let me keep
her, then. We can weep together ; she and I understand
each other well."
From this time the Empress was a firm friend of Ma-
dame Gazani, who accompanied her to Malmaison and
Navarre. What increased the kind feelings of the Em-
press for this lady was that she thought her distressed by
the Emperor's inconstancy. For my part, I have always
believed that Madame Gazani's attachment to the Emperor
was sincere, and her pride must have suffered when she
was dismissed ; but she had no difficulty in consoling her-
self in the midst of the homage and adoration which nat-
urally surrounded such a pretty woman.
The name of the Empress Josephine recalls two anec-
EXTRAVAGANCE OF JOSEPHINE. 247
dotes which the Emperor himself related to me. The
outrageous extravagance in the Empress's household was
a continual vexation to him, and he had dismissed several
furnishers of whose disposition to abuse Josephine's ready
credulity he had ample proof.
One morning he entered the Empress's apartments un-
announced, and found there assembled several ladies hold-
ing a secret toilet council, and a celebrated milliner making
an official report as to all the handsomest and most elegant
novelties. She was one of the very persons whom the
Emperor had expressly forbidden to enter the palace, and
he did not anticipate finding her there. Yet he made no
outburst; and Josephine, who knew him better than any
one else, was the only one who understood the irony of his
look as he retired, saying, " Continue ladies ; I am sorry to
have disturbed you." The milliner, much astonished that
she was not put rudely out of the door, hastened to retire ;
but when she reached the last step of the stairs leading
to the apartments of her Majesty the Empress, she en-
countered an agent of the police, who requested her as
politely as possible to enter a cab which awaited her in the
Court of the Carrousel. In vain she protested that she
much preferred walking ; the agent, who had received pre-
cise instructions, seized her arm in such a manner as
to prevent all reply, and she was obliged to obey, and to
take in this unpleasant company the road to Bicetre.
Some one related to the Emperor that this arrest had
caused much talk in Paris, and that he was loudly accused
of wishing to restore the Bastile; that many persons had
visited the prisoner, and expressed their sympathy, and there
was a procession of carriages constantly before the prison.
248 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
His Majest}r took no notice of this, and was much amused
by the interest excited in this seller of topknots, as he
called her. " I will," said his Majesty on this subject,
"let the gossips talk, who think it a point of honor to
ruin themselves for gewgaws; but I want this old Jewess
to learn that I put her inside because she had forgotten
that I told her to stay outside."
Another celebrated milliner also excited the surprise
and anger of his Majesty one day by observations which
no one in France except this man would have had the
audacity to make. The Emperor, who was accustomed, as
I have said, to examine at the end of every month the ac-
counts of his household, thought the bill of the milliner
in question exorbitant, and ordered me to summon him. I
sent for him; and he came in less than ten minutes, and
was introduced into his Majesty's apartment while he was
at his toilet. " Monsieur," said the Emperor, his eyes fixed
on the account, u your prices are ridiculous, more ridiculous,
if possible, than the silly, foolish people who think they
need your goods. Reduce this to a reasonable amount or
I will do it myself." The merchant, who held in his hand
the duplicate of his bill, began to explain article by article
the price of his goods, and concluded the somewhat long
narration with a mild surprise that the sum total was no
more. The Emperor, whom I was dressing during all this
harangue, could hardly restrain his impatience ; and I had
already foreseen that this singular scene would end un-
pleasantly, when the milliner filled up the measure of his
assurance by taking the unparalleled liberty of remarking
to his Majesty that the sum allowed for her Majesty's toilet
was insufficient, and that there were simple citizens' wives
NAPOLEON AND THE MILLINER- S BILL. 249
who spent more than that. I must confess that at this
last impertinence I trembled for the shoulders of this im-
prudent person, and watched the Emperor's movements
anxiously. Nevertheless, to my great astonishment, he con-
tented himself with crumpling in his hand the bill of the
audacious milliner, and, his arms folded on his breast,
made two steps towards him, pronouncing this word only,
"Really!" with such an accent and such a look that the
merchant rushed to the door, and took to his heels with-
out waiting for a settlement.
The Emperor did not like me to leave the chateau, as
he wished always to have me within call, even when my
duties were over and he did not need me ; and I think it
was with this idea of detaining me that his Majesty several
times gave me copying to do. Sometimes, also, the Em-
peror wished notes to be taken while he was in bed or in
Ins bath, and said to me, " Constant, take a pen and write;"
but I always refused, and went to summon M. de Meiieval.
I have already stated that the misfortunes of the Revolu-
tion had caused my education to be more imperfect than it
should have been ; but even had it been as good as it is
defective, I much doubt whether I would ever have been
able to write from the Emperor's dictation. It was no easj
tiling to fill this office, and required that one should be
well accustomed to it; for he spoke quickly, all in one
breath, made no pause, and was impatient when obliged to
repeat.
In order to have me always at hand, the Emperor gave
me permission to hunt in the Park of Saint-Cloud, and was
kind enough to remark that since I was very fond of hunt-
ing, in granting me this privilege he was very glad to have
250 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
combined rny pleasure with his need of me. I was the
only person to whom permission was given to hunt in the
park. At the same time the Emperor made me a present
of a handsome double-barreled gun which had been pre-
sented to him at Liege, and which I have still in my
possession. His Majesty himself did not like double-bar-
reled guns, and used in preference the simple, small guns
which had belonged to Louis XVL, and on which this
monarch, who was an excellent gunsmith, had worked, it
is said, with his own hands.
The sight of these guns often led the Emperor to speak
of Louis XVL, which he never did except in terms of
respect and pity. " That unfortunate prince," said the
Emperor, " was good, wise, and learned. At another period
he would have been an excellent king, but he was worth
nothing in a time of revolution. He was lacking in resolu-
tion and firmness, and could resist neither the foolishness
nor the insolence of the Jacobins. The courtiers delivered
him up to the Jacobins, and they led him to the scaffold.
In his place I would have mounted my horse, and, with a
few concessions on one side, and a few cracks of my whip
on the other, I would have reduced things to order."
When the diplomatic corps came to pay their respects
to the Emperor at Sain1>Cloud (the same custom was in
use at the Tuileries), tea, coffee, chocolate, or whatever
these gentlemen requested, was served in the saloon of the
ambassadors. M. Colin, steward controller, was present at
this collation, which was served by the domestics of the
service.
There was at Saint^Cloud an apartment which the Em-
peror fancied very much; it opened on a beautiful avenue
AT SAINT-CLOUD. 251
of chestnut-trees in the private park, where he could walk
at any hour without being seen. This apartment was sur-
rounded with full-length portraits of all the princesses of
the Imperial family, and was called the family salon. Their
Highnesses were represented standing, surrounded by their
children; the Queen of Westphalia only was seated. She
had, as I have said, a very fine bust, but the rest of her
figure was ungraceful. Her Majesty the Queen of Naples
was represented with her four children ; Queen Hortense
with only one, i ae oldest of her living sons ; the Queen of
Spain with her two daughters ; Princess Eliza with hers,
dressed like a boy ; the Vice-Queen alone, having no child
at the time this portrait was made ; Priicess Pauline was
also alone.
The theater and hunting were my chief amusements
at Saint-Cloud. During my stay at this chateau I received
a visit from a distant cousin whom I had not seen for many
years. All that he had heard of the luxury which sur-
rounded the Emperor, and the magnificence of the court,
had vividly excited his curiosity, which I took pleasure in
gratifying; and he was struck with wonder at every step.
One evening when there was a play > /t the chateau, I took
him into my box, which was near the pit; and the view
which the hall offered when filled so delighted my cousin,
that I was obliged to name each personage in order to sat-
isfy his insatiable curiosity, which took them all in succes-
sion, one by one. It was a short time before the marriage
of the Emperor to the Archduchess of Austria, and the
court was more brilliant than ever. I showed my cousin
in succession their Majesties, the King and Queen of West-
phalia, the King and Queen of Naples, the Queen of
252 BEC0LLECT10NS OF NAPOLEON.
Holland, King of Bavaria, their Highnesses the Grand
Duchess of Tuscany, Prince and Princess Borghese, the
Princess of Baden, the Grand Duke of Wiirzburg, etc.,
besides the numerous dignitaries, princes, marshals, ambas-
sadors, etc., by whom the hall was filled. My cousin was
in ecstasy, and thought himself at least a foot taller from
being in the midst of this gilded multitude, and conse-
quently paid no attention to the play, being much more
interested in the interior of the hall ; and v, hen we left the
theater could not tell me what piece had bee 1 played. His
enthusiasm, however, did not carry him so far as to make
him forget the incredible tales that had been related to him
about the pickpocksts of the capital, and the recommenda-
tions which had be, n made to him on this subject. In the
promenades at the theater, in every assemblage whatever,
my cousin watched with anxious solicitude over his purse,
watch, and handkerchief; and this habitual prudence did
not abandon him even at the court theater, for just as we
were leaving our box, to mingle with the brilliant crowd
which came out of the pit and descended from the boxes,
he said to me with the utmost coolness, covering with his
hand his chain and t7 .e seals of his watch, " After all, it
is well to take precautions ; one does not know every one
here."
At the time of his marriage the Emperor was more than
ever overwhelmed with petitions, and granted, as I shall
relate farther on, a large number of pardons and petitions.
All petitions sent to the Emperor were handed by him
to the aide-de-camp on duty, who carried them to his Maj-
esty's cabinet, and received orders to make a report on
them the next day ; and not even as many as ten times
PETITIONS GRANTED. 253
did I find any petitions in his Majesty's pockets, though I
always examined them carefully, and even these rare in-
stances were owing to the fact that the Emperor had no
aide-de-camp near him when they were presented. It is
then untrue, as has been so often said and written, that
the Emperor placed in a private pocket, which was called
the good pocket, the petitions he wished to grant, without
even examining them. All petitions which deserved it
received an answer, and I remember that I personally pre-
sented a large number to his Majesty ; he did not put these
in his pocket, and in almost every instance I had the hap-
piness of seeing them granted. I must, however, make
an exception of some which I presented for the Cerf-Berr
brothers, who claimed payment for supplies furnished the
armies of the republic ; for to them the Emperor was
always inexorable. I was told that this was because Mes-
sieurs Cerf-Berr had refused General Bonaparte a certain
sum which he needed during the campaign of Italy.
These gentlemen interested me deeply in their cause ;
and I several times presented their petition to his Maj-
esty, and in spite of the care I took to place it in his
Majesty's hands only when he was in good humor, I re-
ceived no reply. I nevertheless continued to present the
petition, though I perceived that when the Emperor caught
a glimpse of it he always became angry ; and at length one
morning, just as his toilet was completed, I handed him as
usual his gloves, handkerchief, and snuff-box, and attached
to it again this unfortunate paper. His Majesty passed
on into his cabinet, and I remained in the room attend-
ing to my duties, and while busied with these saw the
Emperor re-enter, a paper in his hand. He said to me,
2f>4 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
" Come, Constant, read this ; you will see that you are
mistaken, and the government owes nothing to the Cerf-
Berr brothers ; so say nothing more to me about it ; they
are regular Arabs." I threw my eyes on the paper, and
read a few words obediently; and though I understood
almost nothing of it, from that moment I was certain that
the claim of these gentlemen would never be paid. I was
grieved at this, and knowing their disappointment, made
them an offer of services which they refused. The Cerf-
Berr brothers, notwithstanding my want of success, were
convinced of the zeal I had manifested in their service,
and thanked me warmly. Each time I addressed a peti-
tion to the Emperor, I saw M. de Meneval, whom I begged
to take charge of it. He was very obliging, and had the
kindness to inform me whether my demands could hope for
success ; and he told me that as for the Cerf-Berr brothers,
he did not think the Emperor would ever compensate
them.
In fact, this family, at one time wealthy, but who had
lost an immense patrimony in advances made to the Direc-
tory, never received any liquidation of these claims, which
were confided to a man of great honesty, but too much
disposed to justify the name given him.1
Madame Theodore Cerf-Berr on my invitation had
presented herself several times with her children at Ram-
bouillet and Saint-Cloud, to beseech the Emperor to do her
justice. This respectable mother of a family whom noth-
ing could dismay, again presented herself with the eldest
of her daughters at Compiegne. She awaited the Emperor
1 M. de Fermon, counselor of state, director of general liquidation, was
usually called " Fermons-la-Caisse." — Constant.
THE CLAIM OF THE CEBF-BERBS. 255
in the forest, and throwing herself in the midst of the
horses, succeeded in handing him her petition; but this
time what was the result? Madame and Mademoiselle
Cerf-Berr had hardly re-entered the hotel where they were
staying, when an officer of the secret police came and
requested them to accompany him. He made them enter
a mean cart filled with straw, and conducted them under
the escort of two gens d'armes to the prefecture of police
at Paris, where they were forced to sign a contract never
to present themselves again before the Emperor, and on
this condition were restored to liberty.
About this time an occasion arose in which I was more
successful. General Lemarrois, one of the oldest of his
Majesty's aides-de-camp, a soldier of well-known courage,
who won all hearts by his excellent qualities, was for
some time out of favor with the Emperor, and several
times endeavored to obtain an audience with him; but
whether it was that the request was not made known
to his Majesty, or he did not wish to reply, M. Lemarrois
received no answer. In order to settle the matter he con-
ceived the idea of addressing himself to me, entreating me
to present his petition at an opportune moment. I did
this, and had the happiness to succeed ; and in consequence
M. Lemarrois obtained an audience with such gratifying
results that a short time after he obtained the governor-
ship of Magdeburg.
The Emperor was absent-minded, and often forgot
where he had put the petitions which were handed to
him, and thus they were sometimes left in his coats, and
when I found them there I carried them to his Majesty's
cabinet and handed them to M. de Meneval or M. Fain ; and
256 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
often, too, the papers for which he was hunting were found
in the apartments of the Empress. Sometimes the Em-
peror gave me papers to put away, and those I placed in
a box of which I alone had the key. One day there was
a great commotion in the private apartments over a paper
which could not be found. These were the circumstances :
Near the Emperor's cabinet was a small room in which
the secretaries stayed, furnished with a desk, on which
notes or petitions were often placed. This room was
usually occupied by the cabinet usher, and the Emperor
was accustomed to enter it if he wished to hold a private
conversation without being overheard by the secretaries.
When the Emperor entered this room the usher with-
drew and remained outside the door; he was responsible
for everything in this room, which was never opened
except by express orders from his Majesty.
Marshal Bessieres had several days before presented
to the Emperor a request for promotion from a colonel of
the army which he had warmly supported. One morning
the marshal entered the little room of which I have just
spoken, and finding his petition already signed lying on
the desk, he carried it off, without being noticed by my
wife's uncle who was on duty. A few hours after, the
Emperor wished to examine this petition again, and was
very sure he had left it in this small room ; but it was not
there, and it was thought that the usher must have allowed
some one to enter without his Majesty's orders. Search
was made everywhere in this room and in the Emperor's
cabinet, and even in the apartments of the Empress, and
at last it was necessary to announce to his Majesty that
the search had been in vain; whereupon the Emperor gave
THE LOST PETITION. 257
way to one of those bursts of anger which were so ter-
rible though fortunately so rare, which terrified the whole
chateau, and the poor usher received orders never to ap-
pear in his sight again. At last Marshal Bessieres, hav-
ing been told of this terrible commotion, came to accuse
himself. The Emperor was appeased, the usher restored to
favor, and everything forgotten ; though each one was
more careful than ever that nothing should be disturbed,
and that the Emperor should find at his finger's end
whatever papers he needed.
The Emperor would not allow any one to be introduced
without his permission, either into the Empress's apart-
ments or his own ; and this was the one fault for which the
people of the household could not expect pardon. Once,
I do not exactly remember when, the wife of one of the
Swiss Guard allowed one of her lovers to enter the apart-
ments of the Empress ; and this unfortunate woman, with-
out the knowledge of her imprudent mistress, took in soft
wax an impression of the key of the jewel-box which I
have already mentioned as having belonged to Queen Marie
Antoinette, and, by means of a false key made from this
impression, succeeded in stealing several articles of jew-
elry. The police soon discovered the author of the rob-
bery who was punished as he deserved, though another
person was also punished who did not deserve it, for the
poor husband lost his place.
258 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER XXV.
Various opinions at the chateau on the Emperor's marriage. — Conjectures
shown to be wrong. — Constant charged to renew the Emperor's ward-
robe. — His Majesty receives the portrait of Marie Louise. — Souvenir
of V Ecole-Militaire. — Waltzing makes the Emperor dizzy. — Broken
chairs. — Dancing-lesson given the Emperor by Princess Stephanie. —
Departure of the Prince de Neuchatel for Vienna. — Marriage by proxy.
— Formation of the household of the Empress. — Wedding presents of
the Empress. — The slipper of good luck. — The Emperor's opinion of
Queen Caroline of Naples. — Mistake of Queen Caroline about the new
Empress. — Disappointed ambition. — The Empress deprived of her first
lady of honor. — Marie Louise's resentment against Queen Caroline. —
Correspondence between their Majesties. — The Emperor sends game to
the Empress. — Harshness of the Duke of Vicenza. — An order of the
Duke of Vicenza executed more quickly than an order of the Emperor.
— His Majesty's impatience. — Acts of kindness. — The coquetry of
glory. — Meeting of their imperial Majesties. — Moment of irritability.
— Marie Louise's amiability.
After his divorce from the Empress Josephine, the
Emperor appeared much preoccupied ; and as it was known
that he thought of marrying again, all persons at the
chateau and in his Majesty's service were greatly con-
cerned about this marriage, though all our conjectures
concerning the princess destined to share the Imperial
crown proved to be wrong. Some spoke of a Russian
princess, while others said the Emperor would marry none
but a French woman ; but no one thought of an Austrian
archduchess. When the marriage had been decided,
nothing was spoken of at the court but the youth, grace,
and native goodness of the new Empress. The Emperor
NAPOLEON LEARNS THE WALTZ. 259
was very gay, and paid more attention to his toilet, giving
me orders to renew his wardrobe, and to order better fitting
coats, made in a more modern style. The Emperor also
sat for his portrait, which the Prince de Neuchatel carried
to Marie Louise ; and the Emperor received at the same
time that of his young wife, with which he appeared de-
lighted.
The Emperor, in order to win Marie Louise's affection,
did more undignified things than he had ever done for any
woman. For instance, one day when he was alone with
Queen Hortense and the Princess Stephanie, the latter mis-
chievously asked him if he knew how to waltz ; and his
Majesty replied that he had never been able to go be-
yond the first lesson, because after two or three turns hi
became so dizzy that he was compelled to stop. " When I
was at Vj/Zcole Militaire" added the Emperor, "I tried
again and again to overcome dizziness which waltzing
produced, but I could not succeed. Our dancing-master
having advised us, in learning to waltz, to take a chair
in our arms instead of a lady, I never failed to fall with
the chair, which I pressed so lovingly that it broke ; and
thus the chairs in my room, and that of two or three of
my companions, were destroyed, one after the other."
This tale told in the most animated and amusing manner
by his Majesty excited bursts of laughter from the two
princesses.
When this hilarity had somewhat subsided, Princess
Stephanie returned to the charge, saying, " It really is a
pity that your Majesty does not know how to waltz, for
the Germans are wild over waltzing, and the Empress will
naturally share the taste of her compatriots ; she can have
260 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
no partner but the Emperor, and thus she will be deprived
of a great pleasure through your Majesty's fault." — " You
are right ! " replied the Emperor ; " well, give me a les-
son, and you will have a specimen of my skill." Where-
upon he rose, took a few turns with Princess Stephanie,
humming the air of the Queen of Prussia; but he could
not take more than two or three turns, and even this he
did so awkwardly that it increased the amusement of these
ladies. Then the Princess of Baden stopped, saying,
"Sire, that is quite enough to convince me that you will
never be anything but a poor pupil. You were made to>
give lessons, not to take them."
Early in March the Prince de Neuchatel set out for
Vienna commissioned to officially request the hand of the
Empress in marriage. The Archduke Charles, as proxy
of the Emperor, married the Archduchess Marie Louise,
and she set out at once for France, the little town of
Braunau, on the frontier between Austria and Bavaria,
having been designated as the place at which her Majesty
was to pass into the care of a French suite. The road
from Strasburg was soon filled with carriages conveying to
Braunau the household of the new Empress, composed of
the following persons : —
The Prince Aldobrandini Borghese, first equerry, in
place of General Ordener, appointed governor of the cha-
teau of Compiegne ; the Count de Beauharnais, chevalier of
honor.
Lady of honor, Madame de Montebello ; lady of attire,
the Countess de Lucay.
Ladies of the palace, Mesdames the Duchess de Bas-
sano and de Hovigo, and Mesdames the Countess de Mont-
THE EMPRESS'S HOUSEHOLD. 261
morenci, de Mortemart, de Talhouet, de Lauriston, de
Duchatel, de Bouille, de Montalivet, de Perron, de Las-
caris, de Noailles, de Brignolle, de Gentile, and de Canisy
(afterwards Duchess of Vicenza1).
Most of these ladies had passed from the household
of the Empress Josephine into that of Marie Louise.
The Emperor wished to see for himself if the trousseau
and wedding presents intended for his new wife were
worthy of him and of her, consequently all the clothing
and linen were brought to the Tuileries, spread out before
him, and packed under his own eyes. The good taste and
elegance of each article were equaled only by the richness
of the materials. The furnishers and modistes of Paris
had worked according to models sent from Vienna ; and
when these models were presented to the Emperor he took
one of the shoes, which were remarkably small, and with
it gave me a blow on the cheek in the form of a caress.
" See, Constant," said his Majesty, " that is a shoe of good
augury. Have you ever seen a foot like that? This is
made to be held in the hand."
Her Majesty the Queen of Naples had been sent to
Braunau by the Emperor to receive the Empress. Queen
Caroline, of whom the Emperor once said that she was a
man among her sisters, as Prince Joseph was a woman
among his brothers, mistook, it is said, the timidity of Marie
Louise for weakness, and thought that she would only have
to speak and her young sister-in-law would hasten to obey.
On her arrival at Braunau the formal transfer was solemnly
made ; and the Empress bade farewell to all her Austrian
1 See the recital of the disgrace of Madame de La Rochefoucault. —
Constant.
262 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
household, retaining in her service only her first lady of
honor, Madame de Lajanski, who had reared her and never
been absent from her. Etiquette required that the house-
hold of the Empress should be entirely French, and the
orders of the Emperor were very precise in this regard; but
I do not know whether it is true, as has been stated, that
the Empress had demanded and obtained from the Em-
peror permission to retain for a year this lady of honor.
However that may be, the Queen of Naples thought it to
her interest to remove a person whose influence over the
mind of the Empress she so much feared ; and as the ladies
of the household of her Imperial Majesty were themselves
eager to be rid of the rivalry of Madame de Lajanski, and
endeavored to excite still more the jealousy of her Imperial
highness, a positive order was demanded from the Emperor,
and Madame de Lajanski was sent back from Munich to
Vienna. The Empress obeyed without complaint, but
knowing who had instigated the blow, cherished a pro-
found resentment against her Majesty the Queen of Naples.
The Empress traveled only by short stages, and was wel-
comed by fetes in each town through which she passed.
Each day the Emperor sent her a letter from his own hand,
and she replied regularly. The first letters of the Empress
were very short, and probably cold, for the Emperor said
nothing about them ; but afterwards they grew longer and
gradually more affectionate, and the Emperor read them in
transports of delight, awaiting the arrival of these letters
with the impatience of a lover twenty years of age, and
always saying the couriers traveled slowly, although they
broke down their horses.
The Emperor returned from the chase one day holding
LETTERS FROM MARIE LOUISE. 263
in his hands two pheasants which he had himself killed,
and followed by footmen bearing in their hands the rarest
flowers from the conservatory of Saint-Cloud. He wrote
a note, and immediately said to his first page, " In ten
minutes be ready to enter your carriage. You will find
there this package which you will give with your own hand
to her Majesty the Empress, with the accompanying letter.
Above all do not spare the horses ; go as fast as possible,
and fear nothing. The Duke of Vicenza shall say noth-
ing to you." The young man asked nothing better than
to obey his Majesty ; and strong in this authoritj^, which
gave him perfect liberty, he did not grudge drink money
to the postilions, and in twenty-four hours had reached
Strasburg and delivered his message.
I do not know whether he received a reprimand from the
grand equerry on his return ; but if there was any cause
for this, the latter would not have failed to bestow it, in
spite of the Emperor's assurance to the first page. The
Duke of Vicenza had organized and kept in admirable
order the service of the stables, where nothing was done ex-
cept by his will, which was most absolute ; and it was only
with the greatest difficulty that the Emperor himself could
change an order which the grand equerry had given. For
instance, his Majesty was one day en route to Fontainebleau,
and being very anxious to arrive quickly, gave orders to
the outrider who regulated the gait of the horses, to go
faster. This order he transmitted to the Duke of Vicenza
whose carriage preceded that of the Emperor ; and finding
that the grand equerry paid no attention to this order, the
Emperor began to swear, and cried to the outrider through
the door, " Let my carriage pass in front, since those in
264 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
front will not go on." The outriders and postilions were
about to execute this maneuver when the grand equerry
also put his head out of the door and exclaimed, " Keep to
a trot, the first man who gallops I will dismiss on arriv-
ing." It was well known that he would keep his word,
so no one dared to pass, and his carriage continued to
regulate the pace of the others. On reaching Fontaine-
bleau the Emperor demanded of the Duke of Vicenza an
explanation of his conduct. " Sire," replied the duke to
his Majesty, " when you allow me a larger sum for the
expenses of the stables, you can kill your horses at your
pleasure."
The Emperor cursed every moment the ceremonials and
fetes which delayed the arrival of his young wife. A camp
had been formed near Soissons for the reception of the
Empress. The Emperor was now at Compiegne, where he
made a decree containing several clauses of benefits and
indulgences on the occasion of his marriage, setting at
liberty many condemned, giving Imperial marriage dowries
to six thousand soldiers, amnesties, promotions, etc. At
length his Majesty learned that the Empress was not more
than ten leagues from Soissons, and no longer able to re-
strain his impatience, called me with all his might, " Ohe
ho, Constant! order a carriage without livery, and come
and dress me." The Emperor wished to surprise the Em-
press, and present himself to her without being announced ;
and laughed immoderately at the effect this would produce.
He attended to his toilet with even more exquisite care
than usual, if that were possible, and with the coquetry of
glory dressed himself in the gray redingote he had worn at
Wagram ; and thus arrayed, the Emperor entered a carriage
NAPOLEON'S IMPATIENCE. 265
with the King of Naples. The circumstances of this first
meeting of their Imperial Majesties are well known.
In the little village of Courcelles, the Emperor met the
last courier, who preceded by only a few moments the car-
riages of the Empress ; and as it was raining in torrents, his
Majesty took shelter on the porch of the village church.
As the carriage of the Empress was passing, the Emperor
made signs to the postilions to stop ; and the equerry, who
was at the Empress's door, perceiving the Emperor, hastily
lowered the step, and announced his Majesty, who, some-
what vexed by this, exclaimed, " Could you not see that
I made signs to you to be silent?" This slight ill-
humor, however, passed away in an instant ; and the Em-
peror threw himself on the neck of Marie Louise, who,
holding in her hand the picture of her husband, and look-
ing attentively first at it, then at him, remarked with a
charming smile, "It is not flattered." A magnificent sup-
per had been prepared at Soissons for the Empress and
her cortege ; but the Emperor gave orders to pass on, and
drove as far as Compiegne, without regard to the appetites
of the officers and ladies in the suite of the Empress.
266 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Arrival of their Majesties at Compiegne. — The Emperor's jealousy. — In-
justice done by his Majesty to M. de Beauharnais. — Forgetfulness of
ceremonial. — The Emperor's coquetry. — First nocturnal visit of his
Majesty to. the Empress. — The Emperor's opinion of Germans. — The
Emperor's gayety. — His devoted attentions to Marie Louise. — Report
denied. — Description of the Empress Marie Louise. — Instructions to
the Empress. — Comparison between the wives of the Emperor. — Differ-
ences and points of resemblance between the two Empresses. — The
memorial of Saint Helena. — Preference of the Emperor for the second
wife. — Economy of the Empress Marie Louise. — Her want of taste. —
The Emperor an excellent husband. — The Emperor's words contradicted
by Constant. — Remembrance of Josephine not effaced by Marie Louise.
— Prejudice of Marie Louise against her household and the Emperor's.
— Return of Constant from the Russian campaign. — Consideration of
the Emperor and of Queen Hortense. — Disdainful coldness of the
Empress. — Excessive consideration of the Empress Josephine. — In-
trigues among the ladies of the Empress. — Order restored by the Em-
peror. — The Emperor's watchfulness over the Empress. — Harshness
towards the ladies of the Empress. — Anecdote refuted.
On their Majesties' arrival at Compiegne, the Emperor
presented his hand to the Empress, and conducted her to
her apartment. He wished that no one should approach or
touch his young wife before himself ; and his jealousy was
so extreme on this point that he himself forbade the senator
de Beauharnais, the Empress's chevalier of honor, to pre-
sent his hand to her Imperial Majesty, although this was
one of the requirements of his position. According to the
programme, the Emperor should have occupied a different
residence from the Empress, and have slept at the hotel of
the Chancellerie ; but he did nothing of the sort, since after
NAPOLEON DEVOTED TO MARIE LOUISE. 267
a long conversation with the Empress, he returned to his
room, undressed, perfumed himself with cologne, and wear-
ing only a nightdress returned secretly to the Empress.
The next morning the Emperor asked me at his toilet if
any one noticed the change he had made in the programme ;
and I replied that I thought not, though at the risk of
falsehood. Just then one of his Majesty's intimate friends
entered who was unmarried, to whom his Majesty, pulling
his ears, said, " My dear fellow, marry a German. They
are the best wives in the world; gentle, good, artless, and
fresh as roses." From the air of satisfaction with which
the Emperor said this, it was easy to see that he was paint-
ing a portrait, and it was only a short while since the
painter had left the model. After making his toilet, the
Emperor returned to the Empress, and towards noon had
breakfast sent up for her and him, and served near the
bed by her Majesty's women. Throughout the day he was
in a state of charming gayety, and contrary to his usual cus-
tom, having made a second toilet for dinner, wore the coat
made by the tailor of the King of Naples ; but next day
he would not allow it to be put on again, saying it was
much too uncomfortable.
The Emperor, as may be seen from the preceding de-
tails, loved his new wife most tenderly. He paid her con-
stant attentions, and his whole conduct was that of a lover
deeply enamoured. Nevertheless, it is not true, as some
one has said, that he remained three months almost without
working, to the great astonishment of his ministers ; for
work was not only a duty with the Emperor, it was both a
necessity and an enjoyment, from which no other pleasure,
however great, could distract him ; and on this occasion, as
268 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
on every other, he knew perfectly well how to combine
the duties he owed to his empire and his army with those
due to his charming wife.
The Empress Marie Louise was only nineteen years
old at the period of her marriage. Her hair was blond,
her eyes blue and expressive, her carriage noble, and her
figure striking, while her hand and foot might have served
as models; in fact, her whole person breathed youth,
health, and freshness. She was diffident, and maintained a
haughty reserve towards the court ; but she was said to be
affectionate and friendly in private life, and one fact I
can assert positively is that she was very affectionate
toward the Emperor, and submissive to his will. In their
first interview the Emperor asked her what recommenda-
tions were made to her on her departure from Vienna.
" To be entirely devoted to you, and to obey you in all
things," which instructions she seemed to find no difficulty
in obeying.
No one could resemble the first Empress less than
the second, and except in the two points of similarity of
temperament, and an extreme regard for the Emperor, the
one was exactly the opposite of the other ; and it must be
confessed the Emperor congratulated himself on this dif-
ference, in which he found both novelty and charm. He
himself drew a parallel between his two wives in these
terms : —
" The one [Josephine] was all art and grace ; the other
[Marie Louise] innocence and natural simplicity. At no
moment of her life were the manners or habits of the former
other than agreeable and attractive, and it would have been
impossible to take her at a disadvantage on these points;
COMPARISON OF THE TWO EMPRESSES. 269
for it was her special object in life to produce only advan-
tageous impressions, and she gained her end without al-
lowing this effort to be seen. All that art can furnish
to supplement attractions was practiced by her, but so
skillfully that the existence of tins deception could only
be suspected at most. On the contraiy, it never occurred
to the mind of the second that she could gain anything by
innocent artifices. The one was always tempted to infringe
upon the truth, and her first emotion was a negative one.
The other was ignorant of dissimulation, and every de-
ception was foreign to her. The first never asked for
anything, but she owed everywhere. The second did not
hesitate to ask if she needed anything, which was very
rarely, and never purchased anything without feeling her-
self obliged to pay for it immediately. To sum it all up,
both were good, gentle wives, and much attached to their
husband." Such, or very nearly these, were the terms in
which the Emperor spoke of his Empresses. It can be
seen that he drew the comparison in favor of the second ;
and with this idea he gave her credit for qualities winch
she did not possess, or at least exaggerated greatly those
really belonging to her.
The Emperor granted Marie Louise 500,000 francs for
her toilet, but she never spent the entire amount. She had
little taste in dress, and would have made a very inelegant
appearance had she not been well advised. The Emperor
was present at her toilet those days on which he wished
her to appear especially well, and himself tried the effect
of different ornaments on the head, neck, and arms of the
Empress, always selecting something very handsome. The
Emperor was an excellent husband, of which he gave proof
270 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
in the case of both his wives. He adored his son, and
both as father and husband might have served as a model
for all his subjects ; yet in spite of whatever he may have
said on the subject himself, I do not think he loved Marie
Louise with the same devoted affection as Josephine. The
latter had a charming grace, a kindness, an intelligence,
and a devotion to her husband which the Emperor knew
and appreciated at its full value ; and though Marie Louise
was younger, she was colder, and had far less grace of man-
ner. I think she was much attached to her husband ; but
she was reserved and reticent, and by no means took the
place of Josephine with those who had enjoyed the happi-
ness of being near the latter.
Notwithstanding the apparent submission with which
she had bidden farewell to her Austrian household, it is
certain that she had strong prejudices, not only against
her own household, but also against that of the Emperor,
and never addressed a gracious word to the persons in
the Emperor's personal service. I saw her frequently, but
not a smile, a look, a sign, on the part of the Empress
showed me that I was in her eyes anything more than a
stranger. On my return from Russia, whence I did not
arrive until after the Emperor, I lost no time in entering
his room, knowing that he had already asked for me, and
found there his Majesty with the Empress and Queen Hor-
tense. The Emperor condoled with me on the sufferings
I had recently undergone, and said many flattering things
which proved his high opinion of me ; and the queen, with
that charming grace of which she is the only model since
the death of her august mother, conversed with me for
•some time in the kindest manner. The Empress alone
CONSTANT IGNORED. 271
kept silence ; and noticing this the Emperor said to her,
"Louise, have you nothing to say to poor Constant?"
— "I had not perceived him," said the Empress. This
reply was most unkind, as it was impossible for her Majesty
not to have "perceived" me, there being at that moment
present in the room only the Emperor, Queen Hortense,
and I.
The Emperor from the first took the severest precau-
tions that no one, and especially no man, should approach
the Empress, except in the presence of witnesses.
During the time of the Empress Josephine, there were
four ladies whose only duty was to announce the persons
received by her Majesty. The excessive indulgence of
Josephine prevented her repressing the jealous pretensions
of some persons of her household, which gave rise to end-
less debates and rivalries between the ladies of the palace
and those of announcement. The Emperor had been much
annoyed by all these bickerings, and, in order to avoid
them in future, chose, from the ladies charged with the
education of the daughters of the Legion of Honor in the
school at r^couen, four new ladies of announcement for
the Empress Marie Louise. Preference was at first given
to the daughters or widows of generals ; and the Emperor
decided that the places becoming vacant belonged by right
to the best pupils of the Imperial school of Ecouen, and
should be given as a reward for good conduct. A short
time after, the number of these ladies now being as many
as six, two pupils of Madame de Campan were named, and
these ladies changed their titles to that of first ladies of
the Empress.
This change, however, excited the displeasure of the
272 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
ladies of the palace, and again aroused their clamors around
the Emperor ; and he consequently decided that the ladies
of announcement should take the title of first ladies of
the chamber. Great clamor among the ladies of announce-
ment in their turn, who came in person to plead their
cause before the Emperor ; and he at last ended the matter
by giving them the title of readers to the Empress, in
order to reconcile the requirements of the two belligerent
parties.
These ladies of announcement, or first ladies of the
chamber, or readers, as the reader may please to call them,
had under their orders six femmes de chambre, who entered
the Empress's rooms only when summoned there by a bell.
These latter arranged her Majesty's toilet and hair in the
morning ; and the six first ladies took no part in her toilet
except the care of the diamonds, of which they had special
charge. Their chief and almost only employment was to
follow the steps of the Empress, whom they left no more
than her shadow, entering her room before she arose, and
leaving her no more till she was in bed. Then all the
doors opening into her room were closed, except that
leading into an adjoining room, in which was the bed
of the lady on duty, and through which, in order to enter
his wife's room, the Emperor himself must pass.
With the exception of M. de Meneval, secretary of
orders of the Empress, and M. Ballouhai, superintendent
of expenses, no man was admitted into the private apart-
ments of the Empress without an order from the Em-
peror; and the ladies even, except the lady of honor and
the lady of attire, were received only after making an ap-
pointment with the Empress. The ladies of the private
JEALOUSY OF NAPOLEON. 213
apartments were required to observe these rules, and were
responsible for their execution ; and one of them was re-
quired to be present at the music, painting, and embroidery
lessons of the Empress, and wrote letters by her dictation
or under her orders.
The Emperor did not wish that any man in the world
should boast of having been alone with the Empress for
two minutes ; and he reprimanded very severely the lady
on duty because she one day remained at the end of the
saloon while M. Biennais, court watchmaker, showed her
Majesty a secret drawer in a portfolio he had made for
her. Another time the Emperor was much displeased
because the lady on duty was not seated by the side of
the Empress while she took her music-lesson with M. Pae'r.
These facts prove conclusively the falsity of the state-
ment that the milliner Leroy was excluded from the palace
for taking the liberty of saying to her Majesty that she
had beautiful shoulders. M. Leroy had the dresses of the
Empress made at his shop by a model winch was sent him ;
and they were never tried on her Majesty, either by him,
or any person of her Majesty's household, and necessary
alterations were indicated by her femmes de chambre. It
was the same with the other merchants and furnishers,
makers of corsets, the shoemaker, glovemaker, etc. ; not
one of whom ever saw the Empress or spoke to her in her
private apartments.
274 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER XXVII.
Religious ceremony of the marriage of their Majesties. — The day after their
marriage. — Magnificent fetes. — The temples of glory and of hymen. —
Present of the city of Paris to the Empress. — Journey to the depart-
ments of the North. — Recollections of Josephine. — Triumph and isola-
tion. — Arrival at Antwerp. — Coolness between the King of Holland and
the Emperor. — Mutual distrust in the midst of the fetes. — Rage of the
Emperor. — The two sovereigns and the two brothers. — Some traits in
the character of Prince Louis. — Error in regard to him. — Boat-race at
Flushing. — A storm. — Danger incurred by the Emperor. — Her Majesty's
anxiety. — Critical situation of an usher on duty. — A word from the
Emperor. — Rapid progress. — Fondness of the Empress for balls and the
stage. — Continued festivities. — Burning of the residence of the Prince
of Schwartzenberg. — Fortunate presence of mind of the Emperor and
the Vice-king of Italy. — The Emperor's words. — The three capitals of
the French Empire.
Their Majesties' civil marriage was celebrated at Saint-
Cloud on Sunday, the 1st of April, at two o'clock in the
afternoon. The religious ceremony was solemnized the
next day in the grand gallery of the Louvre. A very
singular circumstance in this connection was the fact that
Sunday afternoon at Saint-Cloud the weather was beauti-
ful, while the streets of Paris were flooded with a heavy
shower lasting some time, and on Monday there was rain
at Saint-Cloud, while the weather was magnificent in Paris,
as if the fates had decreed that nothing should lessen the
splendor of the cortege, or the brilliancy of the wonderful
illuminations of that evening. " The star of the Em-
peror," said some one in the language of that period,
"has borne him twice over equinoctial winds."
MAGNIFICENT FETES. 275
On Monday evening the city of Paris presented a scene
that might have been taken from the realms of enchant-
ment : the illuminations were the most brilliant I have ever
witnessed, forming a succession of magic panorama in
which houses, hotels, palaces, and churches, shone with
dazzling splendor, the glittering towers of the churches
appeared like stars and comets suspended in the air.
The hotels of the grand dignitaries of the empire, the
ministers, the ambassadors of Austria and Russia, and
the Duke d'Abrantes, rivaled each other in taste and
beauty. The Place Louis XV. was like a scene from
fairyland; from the midst of this Place, surrounded with
orange-trees on fire, the eye was attracted in succession by
the magnificent decorations of the Champs-Elysees, the
Garde Meuble, the Temple of Glory, the Tuileries, and
the Corps Legislatif. The palace of the latter repre-
sented the Temple of Hymen, the transparencies on the
front representing Peace uniting the august spouses. Be-
side them stood two figures bearing shields, on which were
represented the arms of the two empires ; and behind this
group came magistrates, warriors, and the people present-
ing crowns. At the two extremities of the transparen-
cies were represented the Seine and the Danube, surrounded
by children — image of fecundity. The twelve columns
of the peristyle and the staircase were illuminated ; and
the columns were united by garlands of colored lights,
the statues on the peristyle and the steps also bearing
lights. The bridge Louis XV., by which this Temple of
Hymen was reached, formed in itself an avenue, whose
double rows of lamps, and obelisks and more than a hun-
dred columns, each surmounted by a star and connected
276 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
by spiral festoons of colored lights, produced an effect
so brilliant that it was almost unendurable to the naked
eye. The cupola of the dome of Saint Genevieve was
also magnificently lighted, and each side outlined by a
double row of lamps. At each corner were eagles, ciphers
in colored glass, and garlands of fire suspended between
torches of Hymen. The peristyle of the dome was lighted
by lamps placed between each column, and as the columns
were not lighted they seemed as if suspended in the air.
The lantern tower was a blaze of light ; and all this mass
of brilliancy was surmounted by a tripod representing the
altar of Hymen, from which shot tongues of flame, pro-
duced by bituminous materials. At a great elevation
above the platform of the observatory, an immense star,
isolated from the platform, and which from the variety of
many-colored glasses composing it sparkled like a vast
diamond, under the dome of night. The palace of the
senate also attracted a large number of the curious ; but
I have already extended too far the description of this
wonderful scene which unfolded itself at every step be-
fore us.
The city of Paris did homage to her Majesty the
Empress by presenting her with a toilet set even more
magnificent than that formerly presented to the Empress
Josephine. Everything was in silver gilt, even the arm-
chair and the cheval glass. The paintings on the exquisite
furniture had been made by the first artists, and the ele-
gance and finish of the ornaments surpassed even the rich-
ness of the materials.
About the end of April their Majesties set out togethei
to visit the departments of the North ; and the journey was
AT ANTWERP, 277
an almost exact repetition of the one I made in 1804 with
the Emperor, only the Empress was no longer the good,
kind Josephine. While passing again through all these
towns, where I had seen her welcomed with so much en-
thusiasm, and who now addressed the same adoration and
homage to a new sovereign, and while seeing again the
chateaux of Lacken, Brussels, Antweq), Boulogne, and many
other places where I had seen Josephine pass in triumph, as
at present Marie Louise passed, I thought with chagrin of
the isolation of the first wife from her husband, and the
suffering which must penetrate even into her retreat, as she
was told of the honors rendered to the one who had suc-
ceeded her in the Emperor's heart and on the Imperial
throne.
The King and Queen of Westphalia and Prince Eugene
accompanied their Majesties. We saw a vessel with eighty
cannon launched at Antwerp, which received, before leav-
ing the docks, the benediction of M. de Pradt, Archbishop
of Marines. The King of Holland, who joined the Emperor
at Antwerp, felt most unkindly towards his Majesty, who
had recently required of him the cession of a part of his
states, and soon after seized the remainder. He was, how-
ever, present in Paris at the marriage fites of the Emperor,
who had even sent him to meet Marie Louise; but the
two brothel's had not ceased their mutual distrust of each
other, and it must be admitted that that of King Louis had
only too good foundation. What struck me as very .sin-
gular in their altercations was that the Emperor, in the
absence of his brother, gave vent to the most terrible
bursts of rage, and to violent threats against him, while
if they had an interview they treated each other in the
278 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
most amicable and familiar and brotherly manner. Apart
they were, the one, Emperor of the French, the other, King
of Holland, with opposite interests and views ; together
they were no more than, if I may be permitted to so ex-
press myself, Napoleon and Louis, companions and friends
from childhood.
Prince Louis was habitually sad and melancholy. The
annoyances he experienced on the throne, where he had
been placed against his will, added to his domestic troubles,
made him evidently very unhappy, and all who knew him
pitied him sincerely ; for King Louis was an excellent
master, and an honest man of much merit. It has been
said that when the Emperor had decided on the union
of Holland and France, King Louis resolved to defend
himself in the town of Amsterdam to the last extremity,
and to break the dikes and inundate the whole country
if necessary, in order to arrest the invasion of the French
troops. I do not know whether this is true ; but from
what I have seen of this prince's character, I am very sure
that, while having enough personal courage to expose his
own person to all the chances of this desperate alternative,
his naturally kind heart and his humanity would have
prevented the execution of this project.
At Middleburg the Emperor embarked on board the
Charlemagne to visit the mouth of the Scheldt and the
port and island of Flushing. During this excursion we
were assailed by a terrible tempest, three anchors were
broken in succession ; we met with other accidents, and
encountered great dangers.
The Emperor was made very sick, and every few mo-
ments threw himself on his bed, making violent but unsuc-
MARIE LOUISE AS A HORSEWOMAN. 279
cessful efforts to vomit, which rendered his sickness more
distressing. I was fortunate enough not to be at all incon-
venienced, and was thus in a position to give him all the
attention he required; though all the persons of his suite
were sick, and my uncle, who was usher on duty, and
obliged to remain standing at the door of his Majesty's
cabin, fell over continually, and suffered agony. During
this time of torment, which lasted for three days, the Em-
peror was bursting with impatience. " I think," said he,
" that I would have made a pretty admiral."
A short time after our return from this voyage, the
Emperor wished her Majesty the Empress to learn to ride
on horseback ; and for this purpose she went to the riding-
hall of Saint-Cloud. Several persons of the household were
in the gallery to see her take her first lesson, I among
the number ; and I noticed the tender solicitude of the
Emperor for his young wife, who was mounted on a gentle,
well-broken horse, while the Emperor held her hand and
walked by her side, M. Jardin, St., holding the horse's
bridle. At the first step the horse made, the Empress
screamed with fright, whereupon the Emperor said to her,
"Come, Louise, be brave. What have you to fear? Am
I not here ? " And thus the lesson passed, in encourage-
ment on one side and fright on the other. The next day
the Emperor ordered the persons in the gallery to leave,
as they embarrassed the Empress ; but she soon overran^
her timidity, and ended by becoming a very good horse-
woman, often racing in the park with her ladies of honor
and Madame the Duchess of Montebello, who also rode
with much grace. A coach with some ladies followed
the Empress, and Prince Aldobrandini, her equerry, never
left her in her rides.
280 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
The Empress was at an age in which one enjoys balls
and fetes; but the Emperor feared above all things her
becoming tired, and consequently rejoicings and amuse-
ments were given up at the court and in the city. A
fete given in honor of their Majesties by the Prince of
Schwartzenberg, ambassador from Austria, ended in a
frightful accident.
The prince occupied the former Hotel de la Montesson
in the rue de la Chaussee d' Antin ; and in order to give this
ball had added to this residence a broad hall and wooden
gallery, decorated with quantities of flowers, banners, can-
delabra, etc. Just as the Emperor, who had been present at
the fete for two or three hours, was about to retire, one of
the curtains, blown by the breeze, took fire from the lights,
which had been placed too near the windows, and was in-
stantly in flames. Some persons made ineffectual efforts
to extinguish the fire by tearing down the drapery and
smothering the flames with their hands ; but in the twink-
ling of an eye the curtains, papers, and garlands caught,
and the wood-work began to burn.
The Emperor was one of the first to perceive the
rapid progress of the fire, and foresee the results. He
approached the Empress, who had already risen to join
him, and got out with her, not without some difficulty, on
account of the crowd which rushed towards the doors ;
the Queens of Holland, Naples, Westphalia, the Princess
Borghese, etc., following their Majesties, while the Vice-
queen of Italy, who was pregnant, remained in the hall,
on the platform containing the Imperial boxes. The vice-
king, fearing the crowd as much as the fire for his wife,
took her out through a little door that had been cut in
THE FIRE. 281
the platform in order to serve refreshments to their Majes-
ties. No one had thought of this opening before Prince
Eugene, and only a few persons went out with him. Her
Majesty the Queen of Westphalia did not think herself
safe, even when she had reached the terrace, and in her
fright rushed into the rue Taitbout, where she was found
by a passer-by.
The Emperor accompanied the Empress as far as the
entrance of the Champs-Elysees, where he left her to re-
turn to the fire, and did not re-enter Saint-Cloud until
four o'clock in the morning. From the time of the arrival
of the Empress we were in a state of terrible apprehension,
and every one in the chateau was a prey to the greatest
anxiety in regard to the Emperor. At last he arrived un-
harmed, but very tired, his clothing all in disorder, and Ins
face blackened with smoke, his shoes and stockings scorched
and burned by the fire. He went directly to the chamber
of the Empress to assure himself if she had recovered from
the fright she had experienced; and then returned to his
room, and throwing his hat on the bed, dropped on a sofa,
exclaiming, " Mon Dieu ! What a fete ! " I remarked that
the Emperor's hands were all blackened, and he had lost his
gloves at the fire. He was much dejected, and while I
was undressing him, asked if I had attended the prince's
fete, and when I replied in the negative, deigned to give
me some details of this deplorable event. The Emperor
spoke with an emotion which I saw him manifest only two
or three times in his life, and which he never showed in
regard to his own misfortunes. "The fire," said his Maj-
esty, "has to-night devoured a heroic woman. The sister-
in-law of the Prince of Schwartzenberg, hearing from the
282 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
burning hall cries which she thought were uttered by her
eldest daughter, threw herself into the midst of the flames,
and the floor, already nearly burned through, broke under
her feet, and she disappeared. After all the poor mother
was mistaken, and all her children were out of danger.
Incredible efforts were made, and at last she was recovered
from the flames ; but she was entirely dead, and all the
attentions of the physicians have been unsuccessful in re-
storing her to life." The emotion of the Emperor increased
at the end of this recital. I had taken care to have his
bath in readiness, foreseeing he would need it on his re-
turn ; and his Majesty now took it, and after his customary
rubbing, found himself in much better condition. Never-
theless, I remember his expressing fear that the terrible
accident of this night was the precursor of some fatal
event, and he long retained these apprehensions. Three
years after, during the deplorable campaign of Russia, it
was announced to the Emperor one day, that the army-corps
commanded by the Prince of Schwartzenberg had been de-
stroyed, and that the prince himself had perished ; after-
wards he found fortunately that these tidings were false,
but when they were brought to his Majesty, he exclaimed
as if replying to an idea that had long preoccupied him,
" Then it was he whom the bad omen threatened."
Towards morning the Emperor sent pages to the houses
of all those who had suffered from the catastrophe with his
compliments, and inquiries as to their condition. Sad an-
swers were brought to his Majesty. Madame the Princess
de la Layen, niece of the Prince Primate, had died from
her wounds ; and the lives of General Touzart, his wife, and
daughter were despaired of, — in fact, they died that same
ESCAPE OF PRINCE KOUEAKIN. 283
day. There were other victims of this disaster ; and
among a number of persons who recovered after long-con-
tinued sufferings were Prince Kourakin and Madame Du-
rosnel, wife of the general of that name.
Prince Kourakin, always remarkable for the magnifi-
cence as well as the singular taste of his toilet, wore at
the ball a coat of gold cloth, and it was this which saved
his life, as sparks and cinders slipped off his coat and
the decorations with which he was covered like a helmet ;
yet, notwithstanding this, the prince was confined to his
bed for several months. In the confusion he fell on his
back, was for some time trampled under foot and much
injured, and owed his life only to the presence of mind
and strength of a musician, who raised him in his arms
and carried him out of the crowd.
General Durosnel, whose wife fainted in the ball-room,
threw himself in the midst of the flames, and reappeared
immediately, bearing in his arms his precious burden. He
bore Madame Durosnel into a house on the boulevard,
where he placed her until he could find a carriage in which
to convey her to his hotel. The Countess Durosnel was
painfully burned, and was ill more than two years. In
going from the ambassador's hotel to the boulevard he saw
by the light of the fire a robber steal the comb from the
head of his wife who had fainted in his arms. This comb
was set with diamonds, and very valuable.
Madame Durosnel's affection for her husband was equal
to that he felt for her; and when at the end of a bloody
combat, in the second campaign of Poland, General Duros-
nel was lost for several days, and news was sent to France
that he was thought to be dead, the countess in despair fell
284 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
ill of grief, and was at the point of death. A short time
after it was learned that the general was badly but not
mortally wounded, and that he had been found, and his
wounds would quickly heal. When Madame Durosnel re-
ceived this happy news her joy amounted almost to delir-
ium ; and in the court of her hotel she made a pile of her
mourning clothes and those of her people, set fire to them,
and saw this gloomy pile turn to ashes amid wild transports
of joy and delight.
Two days after the burning of the hotel of the Prince of
Schwartz enberg,1 the Emperor received the news of the ab-
dication of his brother Louis, by which event his Majesty
seemed at first much chagrined, and said to some one who
entered his room just as he had been informed of it, " 1
foresaw this madness of Louis, but I did not think he
would be in such haste." Nevertheless, the Emperor soon
decided what course to take ; and a few days afterwards his
Majesty, who during the toilet had not opened his mouth,
came suddenly out of his preoccupation just as I handed
him his coat, and gave me two or three of his familiar taps.
"Monsieur Constant," said he, "do you know what are the
three capitals of the French Empire ? " and without giving
me time to answer, the Emperor continued, " Paris, Rome,
and Amsterdam. That sounds well, does it not ? "
1 Prince Karl Philipp von Schwartzenberg, an Austrian field-marshal, born
at Vienna, 1771. Commanded the Austrian forces under Napoleon in the
Russian campaign, and was commander-in-chief of the allied army against
him in 1813 and 1814. He was several times ambassador, and negotiated the
marriage of Marie Louise. Died 1820. — Trans.
FUNERAL CEREMONIES. 285
CHAPTER XXVIII.
The remains of Marshal Lamies transferred to the Pantheon. — Funeral cere-
monies. — Appearance of the Church of the Invalides on the day of the
ceremony. — Glorious inscription. — The procession. — Last adieux. — Sin-
cere tears. — Stay at Rambouillet. — Duel between two pages of the
Emperor. — Paternal prudence of M. d'Assigny. — The St. Louis fete
in honor of the Empress. — Prognostics drawn after the event. — Review
of the Imperial Guard of Holland. — Serious disorders. — The Emperor's
solicitude. — An officer's happy idea. — Influence of the mere name of
the Emperor. — Napoleon godfather and Marie Louise godmother. —
Wise forethought of the Emperor. — Distraction of the Emperor during
the services at the church.
In the latter part of July large crowds visited the
Church of the Hotel des Invalides, in which were placed
the remains of General Saint-Hilaire and the Duke de
Montebello, the remains of the marshal being placed near
the tomb of Turenne. The mornings were spent in the
celebration of several masses, at a double altar which was
raised between the nave and the dome; and for four days
there floated from the spire of the dome a long black
banner or flag edged with white.
The day the remains of the marshal were removed
from the Invalides to the Pantheon, I was sent from Saint-
Cloud to Paris with a special message for the Emperor.
After this duty was attended to, I still had a short time of
leisure, of which I availed myself to witness the sad cere-
mony and bid a last adieu to the brave warrior whose
death I had witnessed. At noon all the civil and mili-
tary authorities assembled at the Invalides ; and the body
286 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
was transferred from the dome into the church, and placed
on a catafalque in the shape of a great Egyptian pyramid,
raised on an elevated platform, and approached through
four large arches, the posts of which were entwined with
garlands of laurels interlaced with cypress. At the cor-
ners were statues in the attitude of grief, representing Force,
Justice, Prudence, and Temperance, virtues characteristic
of the hero. This pyramid ended in a funeral urn sur-
mounted by a crown of fire. On the front of the pyramid
were placed the arms of the duke, and medallions commem-
orating the most remarkable events of his life borne by
genii. Under the obelisk was placed the sarcophagus
containing the remains of the marshal, at the corners of
which were trophies composed of banners taken from his
enemies, and innumerable silver candelabra were placed on
the steps by which the platform was reached. The oaken
altar, in the position it occupied before the Revolution, was
double, and had a double tabernacle, on the doors of
which were the commandments, the whole surmounted by
a large cross, from the intersection of which was sus-
pended a shroud. At the corners of the altar were the
statues of St. Louis and St. Napoleon. Four large cande-
labra were placed on pedestals at the corners of the steps,
and the pavement of the choir and that of the nave were
covered with a black carpet. The pulpit, also draped in
black and decorated with the Imperial eagle, and from
which was pronounced the funeral oration over the mar-
shal, was situated on the left in front of the bier ; on
the right was a seat of ebony decorated with Imperial
arms, bees, stars, lace, fringes, and other ornaments in sil-
ver, which was intended for the prince archchancelor of
INSCRIPTION ON THE TOMB. 287
the Empire, who presided at the ceremony. Steps were
erected in the arches of the aisles, and corresponded to
the tribunes which were above ; and in front of these
steps were seats and benches for the civil and military
authorities, the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, etc. The
arms, decorations, baton, and laurel crown of the marshal
were placed on the bier.
All the nave and the bottom of the aisles were covered
with black with a white bordering, as were the windows
also, and the draperies displayed the marshal's arms, baton,
and cipher.
The organ was entirely concealed by voluminous hang-
ings which in no wise lessened the effect of its mournful
tones. Eighteen sepulchral silver lamps were suspended
by chains from lances, bearing on their points flags taken
from the enemy. On the pilasters of the nave were fas-
tened trophies of arms, composed of banners captured in
the numerous engagements which had made the marshal's
life illustrious. The railing of the altar on the side of
the esplanade was draped in black, and above this were
the arms of the duke borne by two figures of Fame hold-
ing palms of victory; above was written: "Napoleon to
the Memory of the Duke of Montebello, who died gloriously
on the field of Essling, 22d May, 1809"
The conservatory of music executed a mass composed of
selections from the best of Mozart's sacred pieces. After
the ceremony the body was carried as far as the door of
the church and placed on the funeral car, which was orna-
mented with laurel and four groups of the banners cap-
tured from the enemy by his army-corps in the numerous
battles in which the marshal had taken part, and was pre-
288 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
ceded by a military and religious procession, followed by
one of mourning and honor. The military cortege was
composed of detachments from all branches of the army, —
cavalry, and light infantry, and the line, and artillery both
horse and foot ; followed by cannon, caissons, sappers, and
miners, all preceded by drums, trumpets, bands, etc. ; and
the general staff, with the marshal, Prince of Wagram, at
its head, formed of all the general officers, with the staff
of the division and of the place.
The religious procession was composed of children and
old men from the hospitals, clergy from all the parishes
and from the metropolitan church of Paris, bearing crosses
and banners, with singers and sacred music, and his Maj-
esty's chaplain with his assistants. The car on which was
placed the marshal's body followed immediately after. The
marshals, Duke of Conegliano,1 Count Serrurier,2 Duke of
Istria,3 and Prince of Eckmuhl,4 bore the cornel's of the
pall. On each side of the car two of the marshal's aides-
de-camp bore a standard, and on the bier were fastened the
baton of the marshal and the decoration? of the Duke of
Montebello.
After the car came the cortege of mourning and of
honor ; the marshal's empty carriage, with two of his aides-
de-camp on horseback at the door, four mourning carriages
for the marshal's family, the carriages of the princes, grand
dignitaries, marshals, ministers, colonel-generals, and chief
inspectors. Then came a detachment of cavalry preceded
by trumpets, and bands on horseback followed the carriages
and ended the procession. Music accompanied the chants,
1 Marshal Moneey. 2 Marshal Serrurier. 8 Marshal Bessieres. 4 Mar-
shal Davoust. — Trans.
TEE DUEL, 289
all the bells of the churches tolled, and thirteen cannon
thundered at intervals.
On arriving at the subterranean entrance of the church
of Saint-Genevieve, the body was removed from the car by
grenadiers who had been decorated and wounded in the
same battles as the marshal. His Majesty's chaplain de-
livered the body to the archpriest. The Prince of Eckmuhl
addressed to the new Duke of Montebello the condolences
of the army, and the prince archchancelor deposited on the
bier the medal destined to perpetuate the memory of these
funeral honors of the warrior to whom they were paid,
and of the services which so well merited them. Then
all the crowd passed away, and there remained in the
church only a few old servants of the marshal, who hon-
ored his memory as much and even more by the tears
which they shed in silence than did all this public mourn-
ing and imposing ceremony. They recognized me, for
we had been together on the campaign. I remained some
time with them, and we left the Pantheon together.
During my short excursion to Paris, their Majesties had
left Saint-Cloud for Rambouillet, so I set out to rejoin them
with the equipages of the marshal, Prince de Neuchatel, who
had left court temporarily to be present at the obsequies of
the brave Duke of Montebello.
It was, if I am not mistaken, on arriving at Rambouillet
that I learned the particulars of a duel which had taken
place that day between two gentlemen, pages of his Majesty.
I do not recall the subject of the quarrel ; but, though very-
trivial in its origin, it became very serious from the course of
conduct to which it led. It was a dispute between school-
boys; but these school-boys wore swords, and regarded eaeh
290 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
other, not without reason, as more than three-fourths sol-
diers , so they had decided to fight. But for this fight,
two things were necessary, — time and secrecy ; as to their
time, it was employed from four or five in the morning till
nine in the evening, almost constantly, and secrecy was not
maintained.
M. d'Assigny, a man of rare merit and fine character,
was then sub-governor of the pages, by whom his faithful-
ness, kindness, and justice had caused him to be much
beloved. Wishing to prevent a calamity, he called before
him the two adversaries ; but these young men, destined for
army service, would hear of no other reparation than the
duel. M. d'Assigny had too much tact to attempt to argue
with them, knowing that he would not have been obeyed ;
but he offered himself as second, was accepted by the young
men, and being given the selection of arms, chose the pistol,
and appointed as the time of meeting an early hour next morn-
ing, and everything was conducted in the order usual to such
affairs. One of the pages shot first, and missed his adver-
sary ; the other discharged his weapon in the air, upon which
they immediately rushed into each other's arms, and M. d'As-
signy took this opportunity of giving them a truly paternal
lecture. Moreover, the worthy sub-governor not only kept
their secret, but he kept his own also ; for the pistols loaded
by M. d'Assigny contained only cork balls ; a fact of which
the young men are still ignorant.
Some persons saw the 25th of August, which was the fete
day of the Empress, arrive with feelings of curiosity. They
thought that from a fear of exciting the memories of the
royalists, the Emperor would postpone this solemnity to an-
other period of the year, which he could easily have done
THE FETE OF ST LOUIS. 291
by feting his august spouse under the name of Marie. But
the Emperor was not deterred by such fears, and it is also
very probable that he was the only one in the chateau to
whom no such idea occurred. Secure in his power, and the
hopes that the French nation then built upon him, he knew
well that he had nothing to dread from exiled princes, or
from a party which appeared dead without the least chance
of resurrection. I have heard it asserted since, and veiy
seriously too, that his Majesty was wrong to fete Saint
Louis, which had brought him misfortune, etc. ; but these
prognostications, made afterwards, did not then occupy the
thoughts of any one, and Saint Louis was celebrated in
honor of the Empress Marie Louise with almost unparal-
leled pomp and brilliancy.
A few days after these rejoicings, their Majesties held
in the Bois de Boulogne a review of the regiments of the
Imperial Guard of Holland, which the Emperor had re-
cently ordered to Paris. In honor of their arrival his
Majesty had placed here and there in the walks of the
Bois casks of wine with the heads knocked in, so that
each soldier could drink at will ; but this imperial muni-
ficence had serious results which might have become fatal.
The Holland soldiery more accustomed to strong beer than
to wine, nevertheless found the latter much to their taste,
and imbibed it in such great quantities, that in conse-
quence their heads were turned to an alarming extent.
They began at first with some encounters, either among
themselves or with the curious crowd who observed them
too closely. Just then a storm arose suddenly, and the
promenaders of Saint-Cloud and its environs hastened to
return to Paris, passing hurriedly through the Bois de
292 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
Boulogne ; and these Hollanders, now in an almost com-
plete state of intoxication, began fighting with each other
in the woods, stopping all the women who passed, and
threatening very rudely the men by whom most of them
were accompanied. In a flash the Bois resounded with
cries of terror, shouts, oaths, and innumerable combats.
Some frightened persons ran as far as Saint-Cloud, where
the Emperor then was ; and he was no sooner informed
of this commotion, than he ordered squad after squad of
police to march on the Hollanders and bring them to rea-
son. His Majesty was very angry, and said, " Has any
one ever seen anything equal to these big heads ? See
them turned topsy-turvy by two glasses of wine ! " but
in spite of this jesting, the Emperor was not without some
anxiety, and placed himself at the grating of the park,
opposite the bridge, and in person gave directions to the
officers and soldiers sent to restore order. Unfortunately
the darkness was too far advanced for the soldiers to see
in what direction to march; and there is no knowing how
it would have ended if an officer of one of the patrol
guards had not conceived the happy idea of calling out,
"The Emperor! there is the Emperor! " And the sentinels
repeated after him, " There is the Emperor," while char-
ging the most mutinous Hollanders. And such was the
terror inspired in these soldiers by the simple name of his
Majesty, that thousands of armed men, drunken and furi-
ous, dispersed before this name alone, and regained their
quarters as quickly and secretly as they could. A few
were arrested and severely punished.
I have already said that the Emperor often superin-
tended the toilet of the Empress, and even that of her
THE EMPEROR AS GODFATHER. 293
ladies. In fact, he liked all the persons surrounding him
to be well and even richly dressed.
But about this time he gave an order the wisdom of
which I much admired. Having often to hold at the bap-
tismal font the children of his grand officers, and foreseeing
that the parents would not fail to dress their new-born
babes in magnificent toilets, the Emperor ordered that
children presented for baptism should wear only a simple
long linen robe.
This prudent measure spared at the same time the
purse and the vanity of the parents. I remarked during
this ceremony that the Emperor had some trouble in
paying the necessaiy attention to the questions of the
officiating priest. The Emperor was usually very absent-
minded during the services at church, which were not
long, as they never lasted more than ten or fifteen min-
utes ; and yet I have been told that his Majesty asked if
it were not possible to perform them in less time. He
bit his nails, took snuff oftener than usual, and looked
about him constantly, while a prince of the church use-
lessly took the trouble to turn the leaves of his Majesty's
book, in order to follow the service.
294 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
CHAPTER XXIX.
Pregnancy of Marie Louise. — What was thought of it in public. — Beginning
of her illness. — All the palace in commotion. — M. Dubois. — The Em-
peror's agitation. — He is summoned from the bath-hall. — The Emperor's
words. — He goes up to the apartment of Marie Louise. — The instru-
ments.— Marie Louise's words. — The Emperor listens in agony at the
door of the room. — Madame de Montesquieu. — The King of Rome
comes into the world. — Paternal joy of the Emperor. — What he said to
me. — Booming of cannon. — Appearance of the streets of Paris. — The
twenty-second discharge. — Madame Blanchard. — Pages serving as cou-
riers. — Paris to the sixth and seventh stories. — Poets. — Goods. — The
ceremony of anointing. — Again Madame Blanchard. — The balloon falls.
— A whole village lamenting the death of an aeronaut who is in Paris
in perfect health. — Doubts as to Marie Louise's pregnancy. — Napoleon
accused of libertinage. — His love for his children. — My son dies of
croup. — The Emperor's words. — My wife at Malmaison. — Kind act of
Josephine — Consolation.
The pregnancy of Marie Louise had been free from
accident, and promised a happy deliverance, which was
awaited by the Emperor with an impatience in which
France had joined for a long while. It was a curious
tiling to observe the state of the public mind, while the
people formed all sorts of conjectures, and made unan-
imous and ardent prayers that the child should be a son,
who might receive the vast inheritance of Imperial glory.
The 19th of March, at seven o'clock in the evening, the
Empress was taken ill ; and from that moment the whole
palace was in commotion. The Emperor was informed,
and sent immediately for M. Dubois, who had been stay-
ing constantly at the chateau for some time past, and whose
attentions were so valued at such a time.
MARIE LOUISE'S ILLNESS. 295
All the private household of the Empress, as well as
Madame de Montesquieu, were gathered in the apartment,
the Emperor, his mother, sisters, Messieurs Corvisart,
Bourdier, and Yvan in an adjoining room.
The Emperor came in frequently, and encouraged his
young wife. In the interior of the palace, the attention
was eager, impassioned, clamorous ; and each vied with the
other as to who should first have the news of the birth
of the child. At five o'clock in the morning, as the sit-
uation of the Empress continued the same, the Emperor
ordered every one to retire, and himself withdrew in order
to take his bath ; for the anxiety he had undergone made
a moment of repose very necessary to him in Ins great
agitation. After fifteen minutes spent in the bath he
was hastily summoned, as the condition of the Empress
had become both critical and dangerous. Hastily throw-
ing on Iris dressing-gown, he returned to the apartment of
the Empress, and tenderly encouraged her, holding her
hand. The physician, M. Dubois, informed him that it
was improbable both mother and child could be saved;
whereupon he cried, "Come, M. Dubois, keep your wits
about you ! Save the mother, think only of the mother,
I order you."
As the intense suffering continued, it became necessary
to use instruments ; and Marie Louise, perceiving this, ex-
claimed with bitterness, " Is it necessaiy to sacrifice me
because I am an Empress ? " The Emperor overcome by
his emotions had retired to the dressing-room, pale as
death, and almost beside himself. At last the child came
into the world ; and the Emperor immediately rushed into
the apartment, embracing the Empress with extreme tender-
296 BECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
ness, without glancing at the child, which was thought to
be dead ; and in fact, it was seven minutes before he gave
any signs of life, though a few drops of brandy were blown
into his mouth and many efforts made to revive him. At
last he uttered a cry.
The Emperor rushed from the Empress's arms to em-
brace this child, whose birth was for him the last and
highest favor of fortune, and seemed almost beside him-
self with joy, rushing from the son to the mother, from
the mother to the son, as if he could not sufficiently feast
his eyes on either. When he entered his room to make
his toilet, his face beamed with joy ; and, seeing me, he
exclaimed, " Well, Constant, we have a big boy ! He is
well made to pinch ears for example ; " announcing it thus
to every one he met. It was in these effusions of domestic
bliss that I could appreciate how deeply this great soul,
which was thought impressible only to glory, felt the joys
of family life.
From the moment the great bell of Notre Dame and
the bells of the different churches of Paris sounded in
the middle of the night, until the hour when the can-
non announced the happy delivery of the Empress, an ex-
treme agitation was felt throughout Paris. At break of
day the crowd rushed towards the Tuileries, and filled the
streets and quays, all awaiting in anxious suspense the first
discharge of the cannon. But this curious sight was not
only seen in the Tuileries and neighboring districts, but
at half-past nine in streets far removed from the chateau,
and in all parts of Paris, people could be seen stopping to
count with emotion the discharges of the cannon.
The twenty-second discharge which announced the birth
BIRTH OF THE KING OF ROME. 297
of a boy was hailed with general acclamations. To the
silence of expectation, which had arrested as if by en-
chantment the steps of all persons scattered over all parts
of the city, succeeded a burst of enthusiasm almost inde-
scribable. In this twenty-second x boom of the cannon was
a whole dynasty, a whole future, and simultaneously hats
went up in the air; people ran over each other, and em-
braced those to whom they were strangers amid shouts of
" Vive V JEmpereur ! '" Old soldiers shed tears of joy, think-
ing that they had contributed by their labors and their
fatigues to prepare the heritage of the King of Rome, and
that their laurels would wave over the cradle of a dynasty.
Napoleon, concealed behind a curtain at one of the
windows of the Empress's room, enjoyed the sight of the
popular joy, and seemed deeply touched. Great tears rolled
from his eyes, and overcome by emotion he came again to
embrace his son. Never had glory made him shed a tear;
but the happiness of being a father had softened this heart
on which the most brilliant victories and the most sincere
testimonials of public admiration seemed hardly to make
an impression. And in truth Napoleon had a right to
believe in his good fortune, which had reached its height
on the day when an archduchess of Austria made him the
father of. a king, who had begim as a cadet in a Corsioan
family. At the end of a few hours the event which was
awaited with equal impatience by France and Europe had
become the personal joy of every household.
At half-past ten Madame Blanchard set out from
I? fceole Militaire in a balloon for the purpose of carrying
1 It had heen announced in the papers that if it was a girl a salute of
twenty-one guns would be fired ; if a hoy, one hundred guns. — Trans.
298 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
into all the towns and villages through which she passed,
the news of the birth of the King of Rome.
The telegraph carried the happy news in every direc-
tion ; and at two o'clock in the afternoon replies had already
been received from Lyons, Lille, Brussels, Antwerp, Brest,
and many other large towns of the Empire, which replies,
as may well be imagined were in perfect accord with the
sentiments entertained at the capital.
In order to respond to the eagerness of the crowd which
pressed continually around the doors of the palace to learn
of the welfare of the Empress and her august child, it was
decided that one of the chamberlains should stand from
morning till evening in the first saloon of the state apart-
ments, to receive those who came, and inform them of the
bulletins which her Majesty's physicians issued twice a day.
At the end of a few hours, special couriers were sent on all
roads leading to foreign courts, bearing the news of the de-
livery of the Empress ; the Emperor's pages being charged
with this mission to the Senate of Italy, and the munici-
pal bodies of Milan and Rome. Orders were given in the
fortified towns and ports that the same salutes should be
fired as at Paris, and that the fleets should be decorated. A
beautiful evening favored the special rejoicings at the
capital where the houses were voluntarily illuminated.
Those who seek to ascertain by external appearances the
real feelings of a people amid events of this kind, remarked
that the topmost stories of houses in the faubourgs were
as well lighted as the most magnificent hotels and finest
houses of the capital. Public buildings, which under other
circumstances are remarkable from the darkness of the sur-
rounding houses, were scarcely seen amid this profusion
FETES AT THIS PERIOD. 299
of lights with which public gratitude had lighted every
window. The boatmen gave an impromptu fete which lasted
part of the night, and to witness which an immense crowd
covered the shore, testifying the most ardent joy. This
people, who for thirty years had passed through so many
different emotions, and who had celebrated so many vic-
tories, showed as much enthusiasm as if it had been their
first fete, or a happy change in their destiny. Verses were
sung or recited at all the theaters ; and there was no poetic
formula, from the ode to the fable, which was not made use
of to celebrate the event of the 20th of March, 1811. I
learned from a well-informed person that the sum of one
hundred thousand francs from the private funds of the
Emperor was distributed by M. Dequevauvilliers, secretary
of the treasury of the chamber, among the authors of the
poetry sent to the Tuileries ; and finally, fashion, which
makes use of the least events, invented stuffs called roi-de-
Rome, as in the old regime they had been called dauphin.
On the evening of the 20th of March at nine o'clock the
King of Rome was anointed in the chapel of the Tuileries.
This was a most magnificent ceremony. The Emperor
Napoleon, surrounded by the princes and princesses of his
whole court, placed him in the center of the chapel on a
sofa surmounted by a canopy with a Prie-Dieu. Between
the altar and the balustrade had been placed on a carpet
of white velvet a pedestal of granite surmounted by a hand-
some silver gilt vase to be used as a baptismal font. The
Emperor was grave ; but paternal tenderness diffused over
his face an expression of happiness, and it might have been
said that he felt himself half relieved of the burdens of the
Empire on seeing the august child who seemed destined to
300 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
receive it one day from the hands of his father. When
he approached the baptismal font to present the child to
be anointed there was a moment of silence and religious
contemplation, which formed a touching contrast to the
vociferous gayety which at the same moment animated the
crowd outside, whom the spectacle of the brilliant fire-
works had drawn from all parts of Paris to the Tuileries.
Madame Blanchard, who as I have said had set out in
her balloon an hour after the birth of the King of Rome,
to carry the news into all places she passed, first de-
scended at Saint-Tiebault near Lagny, and from there, as
the wind had subsided, returned to Paris. Her balloon
rose after her departure, and fell at a place six leagues
farther on, and the inhabitants, finding in this balloon only
clothing and provisions, did not doubt that the intrepid
aeronaut had been killed ; but fortunately just as her death
was announced at Paris, Madame Blanchard herself arrived
and dispelled all anxiety.
Many persons had doubted Marie Louise's pregnancy.
Some believed it assumed, and I never could comprehend
the foolish reasons given by these persons on this subject
which malevolence tried to disseminate. But a very sin-
gular fact which carries its own proof is, that among the
great number of these evil-thinking, suspicious persons, one
part accused the Emperor of being a libertine, supposing
him the father of many natural children, and the other
thought him incapable of obtaining children even by a
young princess only nineteen years of age, their hatred
thus blinding their judgment. If Napoleon had natural
children, why could he not have legitimate ones, especially
with a young wife who was known to be in most flourish-
THE EMPEROR'S LOVE FOR HIS SON. 301
ing health. Besides, it was not the first, as it was not the
last, shaft of malice aimed at Napoleon ; for his position
was too high, his glory too brilliant, not to inspire exagger-
ated sentiments whether of joy or hatred.
There were also some ill-wishers who took pleasure in
saying that Napoleon was incapable of tender sentiments,
and that the happiness of being a father could not penetrate
this heart so filled with ambition as to exclude all else.
I can cite, among many others in my knowledge, a little
anecdote which touched me exceedingly, and which I take
much pleasure in relating, since, while it triumphantly an-
swers the calumnies of which I have spoken, it also proves
the special consideration with which his Majesty honored
me, and consequently, both as a father and a faithful ser-
vant, I experience a mild satisfaction in placing it in these
Memoirs. Napoleon was very fond of children ; and having
one day asked me to bring mine to him, I went to seek him.
Meanwhile Talleyrand was announced to the Emperor ; and
as the interview lasted a long time, my child grew weary of
waiting, and I carried him back to his mother. A short
time after he was taken with croup, which cruel disease,
concerning which his Majesty had made a special appeal
to the faculty of Paris,1 snatched many children from their
families. Mine died at Paris. We were then at the cha-
teau of Compiegne, and I received the sad news just as I
was preparing to go to the toilet. I was too much over-
come by my loss to perform my duties; and when the Em-
peror asked what prevented my coming, and was told that
I had just heard of the death of my son, said kindly, " Poor
1 On tins, occasion of the death from croup in 1807 of his heir presump-
tive, the young son of the King of Holland. — Trans.
302 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
Constant! what a terrible sorrow! We fathers alone can
know what it is !"
A short time after, my wife went to see the Empress
Josephine at Malmaison ; and this lovely princess deigned
to receive her alone in the little room in front of her bed-
room. There she seated herself beside her, and tried in
touching words of sympathy to console her, saying that
this stroke did not reach us alone, and that her grandson,
too, had died of the same disease. As she said this she
began to weep ; for this remembrance reopened in her soul
recent griefs, and my wife bathed with tears the hands of
this excellent princess. Josephine added many touching
remarks, trying to alleviate her sorrow by sharing it, and
thus restore resignation to the heart of the poor mother.
The remembrance of this kindness helped to calm our grief,
and I confess that it is at once both an honor and a conso-
lation to recall the august sympathy which the loss of this
dear child excited in the hearts of Napoleon and Josephine.
The world will never know how much sensibility and com-
passion Josephine felt for the sorrows of others, and all
the treasures of goodness contained in her beautiful soul.
MARIE LOUISE AND JOSEPHINE. 303
CHAPTER XXX.
Marie Louise and Josephine. — The young Empress' simplicity. — She thinks
herself ill. — Pills of bread and sugar. — German expressions of Marie
Louise. — Napoleon's tenderness. — Severe etiquette. — Cordial welcomes
of the Empress. — Caen. — An act of kindness. — Cherbourg. — A descent
into the basin of Cherbourg. — Baptism of the King of Rome. — Sou-
venirs of the fete. — The Emperor presents his son to those present. —
Banquet and concert at the Hotel de Ville. — Kind words. — The Tibei
at Paris. — The balloonist Garnerin. — The provinces. — The Puy-de-
Dome in flames. — The sea on fire in the port of Flushing. — Other
fetes. — The road to Saint-Cloud. — Fountains of barley-water and currant
wine. — Shrubs for lamp-posts. — Madame Blanchard. — The air-balloon.
— The great star and the smaller stars. — Fairyland. — The doves. —
The storm. — The Emperor and the mayor of Lyons. — The courtiers.
— The musicians. — Prince Aldobrandini. — The Prince and Princess
Borghese. — The men of bad omen. — Women without shoes. — No car-
riages. — Act of gallantry and kindness of M. de Re'musat.
Napoleon was accustomed to compare Marie Louise
with Josephine, attributing to the latter all the advan-
tages of art and grace, and to the former all the charms of
simplicity, modesty, and innocence. Sometimes, however,
this simplicity had in it something childish, an instance of
which I received from good authority. The young Empress,
thinking herself sick, consulted M. Corvisart, who, finding
that her imagination alone was at fault, and that she was
suffering simply from the nervousness natural to a young
woman, ordered, as his only prescription, a box of pills
composed of bread and sugar, which the Empress was to
take regularly ; after doing which Marie Louise found her-
self better, and thanked M. Corvisart, who did not think
304 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
proper, as may well be believed, to enlighten her as to his
little deception. Having been educated in a German court,
and having learned French only from masters, Marie Louise
spoke the language with the difficulty usually found in
expressing one's self in a foreign tongue. Among the awk-
ward expressions she often used, but which in her graceful
mouth were not without a certain charm, the one which
struck me especially, because it often recurred, was this:
'■'•Napoleon qu'est ee que veux-tu? •" The Emperor showed
the deepest affection for his young wife, and at the same
time made her conform to all the rules of etiquette, to
which the Empress submitted with the utmost grace. In
the month of May, 1811, their Majesties made a journey
into the departments of Calvados and La Manche, where
they were received with enthusiasm by all the towns ; and
the Emperor made his stay at Caen memorable by his
gifts, favors, and acts of benevolence. Many young men
belonging to good families received sub-lieutenancies, and
one hundred and thirty thousand francs were devoted
to various charities. From Caen their Majesties went to
Cherbourg. The day after their arrival the Emperor set
out on horseback early in the morning, visited the heights
of the town, and embarked on several vessels, while the pop-
ulace pressed around him crying, " Vive I ' Empereur ! " The
following day his Majesty held several Councils, and in the
evening visited all the marine buildings, and descended to
the bottom of the basin which is cut out of the solid rock in
order to allow the passage of vessels of the line, and which
was to be covered with fifty-five feet of water. On this
brilliant journey the Empress received her share of the en-
thusiasm of the inhabitants, and in return, at the different
BAPTISM OF TIIE KING OF ROME. 305
receptions which took place, gave a graceful welcome to the
authorities of the country. I dwell purposely on these de-
tails, as they prove that joy over the birth of the King of
Rome was not confined to Paris alone, but, on the contrary,
the provinces were in perfect sympathy with the capital.
The return of their Majesties to Paris brought with them
a return of rejoicings and fetes on the occasion of the bap-
tismal ceremony of the King of Rome, and the fetes by which
it was accompanied were celebrated at Paris with a pomp
worthy of their object. They had as spectators the entire
population of Paris, increased by a prodigious crowd of
strangers of every class.
At four o'clock the Senate left its palace ; the Council of
State, the Tuileries; the Corps Legislatif, its palace; the
Court of Cassation, the Court of Accounts, the Council of
the University, and the Imperial Court, the ordinary places
of their sittings; the municipal corps of Paris and the depu-
tations from the forty-nine good towns, the Hotel de Ville.
On their arrival at the Metropolitan Church these bodies
were placed by the master of ceremonies with his aides,
according to their rank, on the right and left of the throne,
reaching from the choir to the middle of the nave. The
diplomatic corps at five o'clock took their place on the plat-
form erected for this purpose.
At half-past five cannon announced the departure of
their Majesties from the Tuileries. The Imperial proces-
sion was dazzlingly magnificent; the fine bearing of the
troops, the richness and elegance of the carriages, the bril-
liant costumes, made up a ravishing spectacle. The accla-
mations of the people which resounded on their Majesties'
route, the houses hung with garlands and drapery, the ban-
306 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
ners streaming from the windows, the long line of carriages,
the trappings and accouterments of which progressively
increased in magnificence, following each other as in the
order of a hierarchy, this immense paraphernalia of a fete
which inspired true feeling and hopes for the future — all
this is profoundly engraved on my memory, and often
occupies the long leisure hours of the old servitor of a
family which has disappeared. The baptismal ceremony
took place with unusual pomp and solemnity. After the
baptism the Emperor took his august son in his arms, and
presented him to the clergy present. Immediately the accla-
mations, which had been repressed till then from respect
to the ceremony and the sanctity of the place, burst forth
on all sides. The prayers being ended, their Majesties, at
eight o'clock in the evening, went to the Hotel de Ville,
and were there received by the municipal corps. A bril-
liant concert and a sumptuous banquet had been tendered
them by the city of Paris. The decorations of the ban-
quet hall showed the arms of the forty-nine good cities, —
Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, being placed first, and the forty-
six others in alphabetical order. After the banquet their
Majesties took their places in the concert hall ; and at the
conclusion of the concert they repaired to the throne room,
where all invited persons formed a circle. The Emperor
passed round this circle, speaking affably, sometimes even
familiarly, to most of the persons who composed it, each
of whom responded in the most cordial manner.
At last, before retiring, their Majesties were invited to
pass into the artificial garden which had been made in the
court of the Hotel de Ville, the decorations of which were
very elegant. At the bottom of the garden, the Tiber was
THE AERONAUT. 307
represented by flowing water, the course of which was
directed most artistically, and diffused a refreshing cool-
ness. Their Majesties left the Hotel de Ville about half-
past eleven, and returned to the Tuileries by the light of
most beautiful illuminations and luminous emblems, de-
signed in most exquisite taste. Perfect weather and a
delightful temperature favored this memorable day.
The aeronaut Garnerin left Paris at half-past six in the
evening, and descended the morning of the next day at
Maule, in the department of Seine-et-Oise. After resting
there a short while, he re-entered his balloon and con-
tinued his journey.
The provinces vied in magnificence with the capital in
celebrating the fetes of the birth and baptism of the King
of Rome. Every imaginable device, both in emblems and
illuminations, had been made use of in order to add still
more pomp to these fetes; and each town had been gov-
erned in the form of homage it rendered to the new king,
either by its geographical position or by its especial in-
dustry. For instance, at Clermont-Ferrand an immense
fire had been lighted at ten o'clock in the evening on the
summit of the Puy-de-D6me, at a height of more than five
thousand feet ; and several departments could enjoy during
the whole night this grand and singular sight. In the port
of Flushing the vessels were covered with flags and ban-
ners of all colore. In the evening the whole squadron was
illuminated; thousands of lanterns hung from the masts,
yards, and rigging, forming a beautiful scene. Suddenly,
at the signal of a gun fired from the admiral's vessel, all
the vessels sent forth at once tongues of flame, and it
seemed as if the most brilliant day succeeded to the dark-
308 BECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON
est night, outlining magnificently those imposing masses
reflected in the water of the sea as in a glass.
We passed so continually from one fete to another it
was almost confusing. The rejoicings over the baptism
were followed by a fete given by the Emperor in the pri-
vate park of Saint-Cloud, and from early in the morning
the road from Paris to Saint-Cloud was covered with car-
riages and men on foot. The fete took place in the in-
closed park and the orangery, all the boxes of which and
the front of the chateau were decorated with rich hang-
ings, while temples and kiosks rose in the groves, and
the whole avenue of chestnut-trees was hung with gar-
lands of colored glass. Fountains of barley water and
currant wine had been distributed so that all persons
attending the fete might refresh themselves, and tables, ele-
gantly arranged, had been placed in the walks. The whole
park was illuminated by pots a feu concealed among the
shrubbery and groups of trees.
Madame Blanchard had received orders to hold her-
self in readiness to set out at half-past nine at a given
signal.
At nine o'clock, the balloon being filled, she entered the
basket, and was carried to the end of the basin of the swans,
in front of the chateau ; and until the moment of departure
she remained in this position, above the height of the tallest
trees, and thus for more than half an hour could be seen
by all the spectators present at the fete. At half-past nine,
a gun fired from the chateau having given the expected
signal, the cords which held the balloon were cut ; and
immediately the intrepid aeronaut could be seen rising
majestically into the air before the eyes of the crowd as-
MADAME BLANCHAED. 309
sembled in the throne room. Having arrived at a certain
height, she set off an immense star constructed around
the basket, the center of which she thus occupied; and
this star for seven or eight moments threw from its
points and angles numerous other small stars, producing a
most extraordinary effect. It was the first time a woman
had been seen to rise boldly into the air surrounded by fire-
works, and she appeared as if sailing in a chariot of fire at
an immense height. I imagined myself in fairyland.
The whole of the garden which their Majesties traversed
presented a view of which it is impossible to give an idea.
The illuminations were designed in perfect taste; there
were a variety of amusements, and numerous orchestras
concealed amid the trees added yet more to the enchant-
ment. At a given signal three doves flew from the top of
a column surmounted with a vase of flowers, and offered
to their Majesties numerous and most ingenious devices.
Farther on German peasants danced waltzes on a charming
lawn, and crowned with flowers the bust of her Majesty the
Empress, and shepherds and nymphs from the opera exe-
cuted dances. Finally, a theater had been erected in the
midst of the trees, on which was represented a village fete,
a comedy composed by M. Ktienne, and set to music by
Nicolo. The Emperor and Empress were seated under a
dais during this play, when suddenly a heavy shower fell,
throwing all the spectators into commotion. Their Majes-
ties did not notice the rain at first, protected as they were
by the dais, and the Emperor being engaged in conversa-
tion with the mayor of the town of L}Tons. The latter was
complaining of the sales of the cloths of that town, when
Napoleon, noticing the frightful rain which was falling, said
310 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
to this functionary, "I answer for it that to-morrow you
will have large orders."
The Emperor kept his position during most of the
storm, while the courtiers, dressed in silk and velvet, with
uncovered heads, received the rain with a smiling face.
The poor musicians, wet to the skin, at last could no longer
draw any sound from their instruments, of which the rain
had snapped or stretched the cords, and it was time to put
an end to this state of affairs. The Emperor gave the signal
for departure, and they retired.
On that day Prince Aldobrandini, who in his quality of
first equerry of Marie Louise accompanied the Empress,
was very happy to find and borrow an umbrella in order to
shelter Marie Louise ; but there was much dissatisfaction
in the group where this borrowing was done because the
umbrella was not returned. That evening the Prince
Borghese and Princess Pauline nearly fell into the Seine
in their carriage while returning to their country house
at Neuilly. Those persons who took pleasure in finding
omens, and those especially (a very small number) who
saw with chagrin the rejoicings of the Empire, did not fail
to remark that every fete given to Marie Louise had been
attended by some accident. They spoke affectedly of the
ball given by the Prince of Schwartzenberg on the occasion
of the espousals, and of the fire which consumed the dan-
cing-hall, and the tragic death of several persons, notably of
the sister of the prince. They drew from this coincidence
bad auguries ; some from ill-will, and in order to undermine
the enthusiasm inspired by the high fortunes of Napoleon ;
others from a superstitious credulity, as if there could have
been any serious connection between a fire which cost the
THE STOBM. 311
lives of several persons, and the very usual accident of a
storm in June, which ruined the toilets, and wet to the skin
thousands of spectators.
It was a very amusing scene for those who had no
finery to spoil, and who ran only the risk of taking cold, to
see these poor women drenched with the rain, running in
every direction, with or without a cavalier, and hunting for
shelter which could not be found.
A few were fortunate enough to find modest umbrellas ;
but most of them saw the flowers fall from their heads,
beaten down by the rain, or their finery dripping with
water, dragging on the ground, in a pitiable state. When
it was time to return to Paris the carriages were missing,
as the coachmen, thinking that the fete would last till day-
light, had prudently thought that they would not take the
trouble to wait all night. Those persons with carriages
could not use them, as the press was so great that it was
almost impossible to move. Several ladies got lost, and
returned to Paris on foot; others lost their shoes, and it
was a pitiable sight to see the pretty feet in the mud.
Happily there were few or no accidents, and the physician
and the bed repaired everything. But the Emperor
laughed heartily at this adventure, and said that the mer-
chants would gain by it.
M. de Remusat, so good and ready to render a service,
always forgetting himself for others, had succeeded in pro-
curing an umbrella, when he met my wife and mother-in-
law, who were escaping like the others, took them on his
arm, and conducted them to the palace without their having
received the least injury. For an hour he traveled back
and forth from the palace to the park, and from the part t<»
812 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
the garden, and had the happiness to be useful to a great
number of ladies whose toilets he saved from entire ruin.
It was an act of gallantry which inspired infinite grati-
tude, because it was performed in a manner evincing such
kindness of heart.
REFLECTIONS. 313
CHAPTER XXXI.
In 1811 and 1812. — Reflections. — The Empress' fete. — Road from Paris to
Trianon. — The people of the court and men of the people elbowing
each other at the fetes. — The public at the fetes. — All Paris at Ver-
sailles.— The grand walk of Versailles and the little saloons of Paris.
— The rain. — The lamps and the women. — The Empress addresses
gracious words to the ladies. — M. Alissan de Chazet. — A promenade
of their Majesties in the park of the Petit Trianon. — The island
of love. — Fairyland. — Barks manned by cupids. — Music which comes
one knows not whence. — A Flemish tableau acted. — All the provinces
of the Empire represented at this fete. — Marie Louise. — She said little
to the people of her household. — Her steward. — Among her intimate
friends she was good and gentle. — Her coolness towards Madame de
Montesquieu. — "What was said on the subject. — Coolness between Ma-
dame de Montesquieu and the Duchess of Montebello. — Fear of a rival.
— The visits which the Empress wade to her. — Reproach made by
Josephine to Madame de Montebello. — Concealed discontent of the
ladies of the palace. — Josephine and Madame de Montesquieu. — The
King of Rome is carried to Bagatelle and presented to Josephine. — Joy
of this Princess. — Her unselfishness. — She bathes the august infant
with her tears. — What Josephine said to me on this subject. — The
nurse of the King of Rome. — Marie Louise and her son. — Marie Louise
and Josephine. — Anecdote of private life. — The kiss on the check
wiped off with the handkerchief. — Marie Louise's dislike to heat and
odors.
This seemed to be a year of fetes, and I dwell upon it
with pleasure because it preceded one filled with misfor-
tunes. The years 1811 and 1812 offered a striking con-
trast to each other. All those flowers lavished on the fites
of the King of Rome and his august mother covered an
abyss, and all this enthusiasm was changed to mourning
a few months later. Never were more brilliant fetes fol-
lowed by more overwhelming misfortunes. Let us, then,
314 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
dwell a little longer upon the rejoicings which preceded
1812. I feel that I need to be fortified before entering
upon reminiscences of that time of unprofitable sacrifices, of
bloodshed without preserving or conquering, and of glory
without result. On the 25th of August, the Empress's
fete was celebrated at Trianon ; and from early in the morn-
ing the road from Paris to Trianon was covered with an
immense number of carriages and people on foot, the same
sentiment attracting the court, the citizens, the people, to
the delightful place at which the fete was held. All ranks
were mingled, all went pell-mell; and I have never seen
a crowd more singularly variegated, or which presented a
more striking picture of all conditions of society. Ordi-
narily the multitude at fetes of tliis kind is composed of
little more than one class of people and a few modest
bourgeois — that is all ; very rarely of people with equi-
pages, more rarely still people of the court; but here
there were all, and there was no one so low that he could
not have the satisfaction of elbowing a countess or some
other noble inhabitant of the Faubourg St. Germain, for
all Paris seemed to be at Versailles. That town so beau-
tiful, but yet so sadly beautiful, which seemed since the
last king to be bereft of its inhabitants, those broad streets
in which no one was to be seen, those squares, the least
of which could hold all the inhabitants of Versailles, and
which could hardly contain the courtiers of the Great
King, this magnificent solitude which we call Versailles,
had been populated suddenly by the capital. The private
houses could not contain the crowd which arrived from
every direction. The park was inundated with a multitude
of promenaders of every sex and all ages ; in these im-
AT TRIANON. 315
mense avenues one walked on foot, one needed air on this
vast plateau which was so airy, one felt cramped on this
theater of a great public fete, as at balls given in those
little saloons of Paris built for about a dozen persons, and
where fashion crams together a hundred and fifty.
Great preparations had been made for four or five days
in the delightful gardens of Trianon ; but the evening before,
the sky became cloudy, and many toilets winch had been
eagerly prepared were prudently laid aside ; but the next
day a beautiful blue sky reassured every one, and they
set out for Trianon in spite of the recollections of the storm
which had dispersed the spectators at the fete of Saint
Cloud. Nevertheless, at three o'clock a heavy shower made
every one fear for a short while that the evening; might
end badly. " Afternoon shower making its obeisance," as
the proverb says ; but, on the contrary, this only made the
fSte pleasanter, by refreshing the scorching air of August,
and laying the dust which was most disagreeable. At six
o'clock the sun had reappeared, and the summer of 1811
had no softer or more agreeable evening.
All the outlines of the architecture of the Grand Tria-
non were ornamented with lamps of different colors. In
the gallery could be seen six hundred women, brilliant
with youth and adornments ; and the Empress addressed
gracious words to several among them, and all were
charmed by the cordial and affable manners of a young
princess who had lived in France only fifteen months.
At this fete, as at all the fetes of the Empire, there were
not wanting poets to sing praises of those in whose honor
they were given. There was a play which had been com-
posed for the occasion, the author of which I remember
316 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
perfectly was M. Alissan de Chazet ; but I have forgotten
the title. At the end of the piece, the principal artists of
the opera executed a ballet which was considered very fine.
When the play was over, their Majesties commenced a
promenade in the park of the Petit-Trianon, the Emperor,
hat in hand, giving his arm to the Empress, and being fol-
lowed by all his court. They first visited the Isle of Love,
and found all the enchantments of fairyland and its il-
lusions there united. The temple, situated in the midst of
the lake, was splendidly illuminated, and the water reflected
its columns of fire. A multitude of beautiful boats fur-
rowed this lake, which seemed on fire, manned by a
swarm of Cupids, who appeared to sport with each other
in the lagging. Musicians concealed on board played melo-
dious airs ; and this harmony, at once gentle and mysterious,
which seemed to spring from the bosom of the waves, added
still more to the magic of the picture and the charms of the
illusion. To this spectacle succeeded scenes of another
kind, taken from rural life, — a Flemish living picture, with
its pleasant-faced, jolly people, and its rustic ease; and
groups of inhabitants from every province of France,
giving an impression that all parts of the Empire were
convened at this fete. In fine, a wonderful variety of at-
tractions in turn arrested the attention of their Majesties.
Arrived at the saloon of Polhymnie, they were welcomed
by a charming choir, the music composed, I think, by Paer,
and the words by the same M. Alissan de Chazet. At last,
after a magnificent supper, which was served in the grand
gallery, their Majesties retired at one o'clock in the morn-
ing.
There was only one opinion in this immense assembly
MADAME DE MONTESQUIEU. 317
as to the grace and perfect dignity of Marie Louise. This
young princess was really charming, but with peculiarities
rather than traits of character. I recall some occurrences
in her domestic life which will not be without interest to
the reader.
Marie Louise talked but little with the people of her
household; but whether this arose from a habit brought
with her from the Austrian court, whether she feared ta
compromise her dignity by her foreign accent before per-
sons of inferior condition, or whether it arose from timid-
ity or indifference, few of these persons could remember
a word she had uttered. I have heard her steward say
that in three years she spoke to him only once.
The ladies of the household agreed in saying that in
private she was kind and agreeable. She did not like
Madame de Montesquieu. This was wrong; since there
were no cares, endearments, attentions of all sorts, which.
Madame de Montesquieu did not lavish on the King of
Rome.
The Emperor, however, appreciated highly this excel-
lent lady who was so perfect in every respect. As a man
he admired the dignity, perfect propriety, and extreme dis-
cretion of Madame de Montesquieu ; and as a father he felt
an infinite gratitude for the cares she lavished on his son.
Each one explained in his own way the coolness which the
young Empress showed to this lady ; and there were several
reasons assigned for this, all more or less untrue, though
the leisure moments of the ladies of the palace were much
occupied with it. What appeared to me the most likely
solution, and most in accordance with the artless simplicity
of Marie Louise, Avas this: The Empress had as lady of
318 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
honor Madame de Montebello, a charming woman of per-
fect manners. Now, there was little friendship between
Madame de Montesquieu and Madame de Montebello, as
the latter feared it is said to have a rival in the heart of
her august friend; and, in fact, Madame de Montesquieu
would have proved a most dangerous rival for this lady,
as she combined all those qualities which please and make
one beloved. Born of an illustrious family, she had re-
ceived a distinguished education, and united the tone and
manners of the best society with a solid and enlightened
piety. Never had calumny dared to attack her conduct,
which was as noble as discreet. I must admit that she was
somewhat haughty ; but this haughtiness was tempered by
such elegant politeness, and such gracious consideration,
that it might be considered simple dignity. She was atten-
tive and assiduous in her devotion to the King of Rome,
and was entitled to the deep gratitude of the Empress ; for
she afterwards, actuated by the most generous devotion,
tore herself from her country, her friends, her family, to
follow the fate of a child whose every hope was blasted.
Madame de Montebello was accustomed to rise late. In
the morning when the Emperor was absent, Marie Louise
went to converse with her in her room ; and in order not
to go through the saloon where the ladies of the palace
were assembled, she entered the apartment of her lady of
honor through a very dark closet, and this conduct deeply
wounded the feelings of the other ladies. I have heard
Josephine say that Madame de Montebello was wrong to
initiate the young Empress into the scandalous adventures,
whether true or false, attributed to some of these ladies,
and which a young, pure, simple woman like Marie Louise
MADAME DE MONTESQUIEU. 319
should not have known ; and that this was one cause of
her coldness towards the ladies of her court, who on their
side did not like her, and confided their feelings to their
neighbors and friends.
Josephine tenderly loved Madame de Montesquieu, and
when they were parted wrote to her often ; this corre-
spondence lasted till Josephine's death. One day Madame
de Montesquieu received orders from the Emperor to take
the little king to Bagatelle, where Josephine then was.
She had obtained permission to see this child, whose birth
had covered Europe with fetes. It is well known how
disinterested Josephine's love for Napoleon wras, and how
she viewed everything that could increase his glory and
render it more durable ; and there entered into the prayers
she made for him since the burning disgrace of the divorce,
even the hope that he might be happy in his private life,
and that his new wife might bear this child, this first-
born of his dynasty, to him whom she herself could not
make a father.
This woman of angelic goodness, who had fallen into
a long swoon on learning her sentence of repudiation, and
who since that fatal day had dragged out a sad life in
the brilliant solitude of Malmaison ; this devoted wife who
had shared for fifteen years the fortunes of her husband,
and who had assisted so powerfully in his elevation, — was
not the last to rejoice at the birth of the King of Rome.
She was accustomed to say that the desire to leave a
posterity, and to be represented after our death by beings
who owe their life and position to us, was a sentiment
deeply engraved in the heart of man ; that this desire,
which was so natural, and which she had felt so deeply
320 UECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
as wife and mother, this desire to have children to sur-
vive and continue us on earth, was still more augmented
when we had a high destiny to transmit to them ; that in
Napoleon's peculiar position, as founder of a vast empire,
it was impossible he should long resist a sentiment which
is at the bottom of every heart, and which, if it is true
that this sentiment increases in proportion to the inheri-
tance we leave our children, no one could experience more
fully than Napoleon, for no one had yet possessed so
formidable a power on the earth ; that the course of na-
ture having made her sterility a hopeless evil, it was her
duty to be the first to sacrifice the sentiments of her heart
to the good of the state, and the personal happiness of
Napoleon — sad but powerful reasoning, which policy in-
voked in aid of the divorce, and of which tins excellent
princess in the illusion of her devotion thought herself
convinced in the depths of her heart.
The royal child was presented to her. I know nothing
in the world which could be more touching than the joy
of this excellent woman at the sight of Napoleon's son.
She at first regarded him with eyes swimming in tears ;
then she took him in her arms, and pressed him to her
heart with a tenderness too deep for words. There were
present no indiscreet witnesses to take pleasure in indul-
ging irreverent curiosity, or observe with critical irony
the feelings of Josephine, nor was there ridiculous etiquette
to freeze the expression of this tender soul ; it was a scene
from private life, and Josephine entered into it with all her
heart. From the manner in which she caressed this child,
it might have been said that it was some ordinary child,
and not a son of the Caesars, as flatterers said, not the
JOSEPHINE 'S LOVE FOB THE KING OF ROME. 321
son of a great man, whose cradle was surrounded with so
many honors, and who had been born a king. Josephine
bathed him with her tears, and said to him some of those
baby words with which a mother makes herself understood
and loved by her new born. It was necessary at last to
separate them. The interview had been short, but it had
been well employed by the loving soul of Josephine. In
this scene one could judge from her joy of the sincerity
of her sacrifice, while at the same time her stifled sighs
testified to its extent. Madame de Montesquieu's visits
were made only at long intervals, which distressed Jose-
phine greatly ; but the child was growing larger, an in-
discreet word lisped by him, a childish remembrance, the
least thing, might offend Marie Louise, who feared Jose-
phine. The Emperor wished to avoid this annoyance,
which would have affected his domestic happiness ; so
he ordered that the visits should be made more rarely,
and at last they were stopped. I have heard Josephine
say that the birth of the King of Rome repaid her for all
sacrifices, and surely never was the devotion of a woman
more disinterested or more complete.
Immediately after his birth the King of Rome was
confided to the care of a nurse of a healthy, robust con-
stitution, taken from among the people. This woman
could neither leave the palace nor receive a visit from
any man; the strictest precautions were observed in this
respect. She was taken out to ride for her health in a
carriage, and even then she was accompanied by several
women.
These were the habits of Marie Louise with her son.
In the morning about nine o'clock the king was brought
322 RECOLLECTIONS OF NAPOLEON.
to his mother ; she took him in her arms and caressed
him a few moments, then returned him to his nurse, and
began to read the papers. The child grew tired, and
the lady in charge took him away. At four o'clock the
mother went to visit her son ; that is to say, Marie Louise
went down into the king's apartments, carrying with her
some embroidery, on which she worked at intervals.
Twenty minutes after she was informed that M. Isabey
or M. Prudhon had arrived for the lesson in painting or
drawing, whereupon the Empress returned to her apart-
ments.
Thus passed the first months which followed the birth
of the King of Rome. In the intervals between fetes, the
Emperor was occupied with decrees, reviews, monuments,
and plans, constantly employed, with few distractions, inde-
fatigable in every work, and still not seeming to have any-
thing to occupy his powerful mind, and happy in his private
life with his young wife, by whom he was tenderly beloved.
The Empress led a very simple life, which suited her dispo-
sition well. Josephine needed more excitement; her life
had been also more in the outside world, more animated,
more expansive ; though this did not prevent her being very
faithful to the duties of her •domestic life, and very tender
and loving towards her husband, whom she knew how to
render happy in her own way.
One day Bonaparte returned from a hunt worn out
with fatigue, and begged Marie Louise to come to him.
She came, and the Emperor took her in his arms and gave
her a sounding kiss on the cheek. Marie Louise took her
handkerchief and wiped her cheek. "Well, Louise, you
are disgusted with me?" — "No," replied the Empress,
MARIE LOUISE AND NAPOLEON. 323
" I did it from habit ; I do the same with the King of
Rome." The Emperor seemed vexed. Josephine was very
different; she received her husband's caresses affection-
ately, and even met him half way. The Emperor some-
times said to her, " Louise, sleep in my room." — "It is too
warm there," replied the Empress. In fact, she could not
endure the heat, and Napoleon's apartments were constantly
warmed. She had also an extreme repugnance to odors,
and in her own rooms allowed only vinegar or sugar to be
burnt.
END OF VOLUME TWO.
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Date Due
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